Journey of a Guardian
by TheDarkAngel'sShadow
Summary: Watching over the Fossil Parks of the world isn't easy, but Tria's life has never been easy. But now, with balancing the needs of the humans and the vivosaurs while taking care of herself as well, she may have taken on more than she can chew, especially with the return of an old enemy and the new enemies determined to bring the Wardens to their knees.
1. Meeting

On the top of a hill above Fossil Park Asia, a figure stood watching the darkened site. The stars and moon gleamed above the Warden HQ, creating a stunning view for all to behold. The figure stood at the top of the hill, hands clasped behind him as he smiled and waited patiently for the meeting that was scheduled to take place. He briefly put a hand in his pocket, running his fingers over the small metal device there, as if to make sure it was still there. He then turned to look at the younger male who was walking up the hill toward him, smiling kindly. The visitor didn't smile back, too wary and suspicious of the meeting he'd been summoned to.

"Hello there, old friend." the figure greeted his visitor, "I am glad you could make it. My apologies for calling you out here on such short notice."

"What's this about?" the visitor asked warily, "I've never been called out here before. What do you need?"

The figure continued to smile, the visitor's slight attitude not fazing him. "I have something to give to you. It will help settle the unease I'm sure you've sensed by now."

The visitor narrowed his eyes, now thoroughly suspicious. "…How do you know about that?"

The figure chuckled softly. "How could I ever forget?" He then pulled the small metal device out of his pocket, turning it over in his palm. It looked plain enough, gray metal with a few buttons and dials circling a clear ball. He handed the device to the younger male. "Carry this with you as you go about your usual activities. When the light reaches its brightest, take it to her. She'll handle the rest."

The young visitor's eyes widened in shock. "H-How…?"

The figure chuckled again, expression a cross between and smile and a smirk. "In time, my friend. In time."

The visitor narrowed his eyes again, but said nothing else, simply turning on his heel and walking back down the hill with a final nod to the figure. He glanced at the starry sky, his breath hitching in hesitant hope before leaving. The figure looked to the sky as well, smiling as the moon and stars briefly darkened.


	2. Gathering

The Fossil Parks still ran as smoothly as ever. It was 3 ½ months after the fall of the BR Brigade, and nearly all signs of their previous existence were gone, making them seem like little more than a bad dream. The bright, sunny skies warmed the Park's inhabitants. The lieutenants who had served Dr. Blackraven hadn't been found. Then again, no one was looking for them. The Wardens simply went about business as usual, helping civilians and making sure the Fossil Parks ran safely and effectively.

Elric Bellamy, one of the newest additions to the Wardens, made his way to the Stadium in Fossil Park Asia to meet a couple of his colleagues. After the completion of his mission to eradicate the dark energy, a mission that had resulted in the death of his childhood friend, the half-dinaurian Tria Seishin, he had been appointed as the new emissary for Captain Stryker, the leader of the Wardens. It was the title and role that Tria had held, so of course Elric had gladly accepted. He had been planning to return to his own time, which he and Tria had traveled from to stop the dark energy, but after consulting the elders of his time and feeling the connection with the Wardens, he'd decided to remain in this time as a permanent member of the Wardens. He also wanted to remain close to Tria, who had died in and for this world.

When he entered the Fossil Stadium's battle arena, he was greeted by a familiar sight. The day's tour of kids, ages ranging from five to twelve years, were climbing and crawling all over the backplates of Stego, the calmest member of the team of vivosaurs Tria had commanded. Stego herself lay still as she listened to Nate and Roland tell a story of their experiences to the children, watching Nate's exaggerated movements. Roland smiled with amusement as he watched Nate as well. No doubt he had told an earlier part of the story. Elric approached them right as Nate reached the peak of the build-up.

"…and then we looked up again, and there were these two HUGE metal vivosaurs protecting us! They had caught the dark vivosaurs' attacks like they were NOTHING!"

"Oooooooooo." the kids chorused, trying to imagine the mechanical vivosaurs that were the Dinomatons, tools of the ancient race of 'dinosaur people' called dinaurians, from which Tria was partially descended.

"Were you scared?" one of the kids asked, eyes sparkling.

"Not at all!" Nate bragged, grinning proudly and puffing out his chest. Roland looked at him, sighing exasperatedly. Elric smirked, taking out a small metal cube and throwing it behind Stego. He winked at the herbivore, who smirked back. Nate continued laughing until he opened his eyes and caught sight of the new addition in the arena. His laughter then turned into a scream as he ducked behind Roland, trembling as the heftier male shook his head and sighed again.

"Not at all, huh?" Elric chuckled as some of the children burst out laughing. The other children stared in awe at the Dinomaton that stood behind Stego, as relaxed and unaggressive as it could be.

"What happened next?" one of the kids asked as some of the others swarmed over to the Dinomaton, knocking on its metal legs.

Nate and Roland sobered slightly, glancing at each other before looking at Elric, who simply nodded.

"That…was when Tria showed up." Roland replied, smiling to hide his lingering sorrow, "It was the first time we'd seen her true form."

"Which was AWESOME!" Nate yelled, his energy and cheer helping to keep up the spirits of the children, as well as his colleagues, "And she defeated the dark vivosaurs single-handedly!"

"Woooow!" the children chorused. The Wardens smiled at their awe, but stiffened when one of the children asked the forbidden question.

"Where is Tria now?" a little five-year-old boy asked innocently, "Will we get to meet her?"

Nate and Roland looked at each other, grimacing. Seeing that they weren't going to respond, Elric answered for them.

"I'm afraid not." he said, smiling kindly at the group of children, "Tria is…not here at the present." At the chorus of disappointed groans, Elric pulled out his Warden phone and held it out to the children. "If you would like, though, I can show you a picture of her."

The children gathered around Elric, who knelt in front of them and pulled up the pictures.

"This is what she looked like while she was using her human disguise." he said, showing them the picture of Tria's human image. He then pulled up another picture. "And this is her true form."

The children gasped, staring at the picture. One of the young girls, about ten years of age, piped up.

"She's really pretty." she said, "And she looks like she's really nice."

"She was." Elric replied, noting the sniffle behind him, "She was incredibly kind and devoted to these Parks. She watches over them, keeping them safe even now."

The children had more questions, but their teachers called them back to the plane that would return them to their home country. When Elric turned to Nate and Roland, he saw them looking at the same picture, tears in their eyes. He walked over to them, calling Stego and the Dinomaton back as he did so.

"Did you really mean it, Elric?" Roland asked, looking at the silver-haired male, "Is Tria really watching over us?"

"I think she is." Elric replied, putting his phone away and looking at the sky.

"Ha! I KNOW she is!" Nate claimed, beaming confidently, "I can feel her power and confidence when I battle! She's always with us!"

Roland wiped the last of his tears away. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I can't imagine Tria leaving us completely. She's still here, even if we can't see her."

"Penny says she sometimes sees Tria in her dreams." Nate said, brushing away his own tears, "Whenever she's worried or unsure about something, Tria appears to her and gives her advice and encouragement. She always wakes up feeling better, though Mei Lian says she cries in her sleep whenever that happens."

After Tria's death, Penny didn't want to sleep alone in her room, and she couldn't keep sleeping in Nate and Roland's room. Mei Lian had offered to move into Penny's room as her roommate because of that, and because Mei Lian herself didn't want to be alone either. Penny had agreed whole-heartedly, needing the support as much as Mei Lian did, and they'd been roommates ever since. It worked out well for Elric as well; he'd been given the room Mei Lian had vacated, and that had become his new home.

Elric nodded, then looked at them in confusion. "Speaking of Penny, where is she? Doesn't she usually help you with the tour groups?"

"She does." Roland replied, "But she was called on a much more urgent mission."

"Yeah. Apparently that Titano in Lantern Lake is rampaging again." Nate added, "Something about being bitten by a Raja…"

"I see." Elric mumbled in reply, "I think I'll go help her. She may have gotten stronger, but she's still at a disadvantage." He turned to walk out, stopping only to call over his shoulder, "By the way, Captain Stryker wants all Wardens to meet him in his office. He wants to announce the teams for the Angel's Cup."

"All right." both boys replied in unison. Elric nodded and walked off, smiling to himself as he headed to Lantern Lake.

The Lantern Lake, he could feel the tremors through his Speed Demon. He sped toward the sound of enraged bellows that almost covered the sound of singing that could only belong to Penny's Hypsi. He found the massive sauropod stomping around in agitation, slamming itself into the cliff walls. Hypsi sang her Soothing Song, jumping out of the way whenever the Titano stomped too close to her. Penny was calling orders to her Hypsi and calming words to the Titano over her radio.

"Look out, Hypsi! It's coming up on your left!" she called, "Titano! Please calm down! The Raja's gone now!"

Titano roared, charging directly at Penny's pink Digger's Rig. Hypsi screamed in warning at the Water-type sauropod. Titano roared back, rearing up on its hind legs, only to be knocked onto its back as the head of Toba Titanosaur slammed into its chest. Titano struggled to its feet, bellowing angrily.

"Elric!" Penny cried, surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"I came here with a request from Captain Stryker." Elric replied calmly, "He wants all Wardens to meet in his office so he can assign teams for the Angel's Cup."

"I can't leave now!" Penny cried, "This Titano is very upset! I have to calm it down!"

"We can help with that." Elric said, smiling at his vivosaur, "Right, Toba?"

Toba bellowed at the other Water-type sauropod, speaking to it calmly. Titano bellowed back, sounding vaguely indignant. Hypsi continued singing, more soothing now that her fighter was no longer in danger. Toba continued to reason with Titano, and that, combined with Hypsi's gentle voice, allowed Titano to settle down and return to its lake in front of the waterfall.

"Phew!" Penny sighed with relief, withdrawing Hypsi before addressing her companion, "Thanks, Elric! You sure saved us!"

"Nonsense, Penny." Elric replied, "You would've been fine without me."

Penny laughed softly, her smile becoming fond. When Elric raised an eyebrow questioningly, she said quietly, "That sounds exactly like something Tria would say."

Elric laughed as well. "Well, Tria and I had known each other for years. It only makes sense that we'd pick up some habits from each other."

Penny nodded as they drove back to Fossil Park Asia. "I really envy you, Elric." she said, still smiling even as her eyes became misty, "You knew Tria for years. We only knew her for about a month."

"That may be, but Tria didn't care about you all any less because of it." Elric said as they exited the Garage, "She loved these Parks, and their inhabitants, more than anything. You all were very dear to her."

"So were you." Penny told the male, "You were Tria's closest friend. She cared about you very much."

Elric was about to respond, but an irritated voice cut him off.

"Elric! What do you think you're doing?!" the fiery voice of Mei Lian called out as she marched over to them and stood next to her roommate, her hands on her hips and her posture protective, "You should know better than to talk about you-know-who with Penny! You know it upsets her!"

"It's okay, Mei Lian." Penny said gently, placing a calming hand on the other girl's arm, "I started it this time."

"Penny…" Mei Lian sighed tiredly, turning to her, "I had to console you last night after you had that dream again. Do you want it to keeping coming back?"

Penny looked at the ground. She and the other graduates occasionally had dreams in which they relived their last mission with Tria, in which they'd had to kill her after she'd ingested the dark energy and it consumed her. It always ended with the Wardens waking up and crying themselves back to sleep. Even Elric had experienced that dream, waking up with the feeling of Tria's hair, slick with her blood, still vivid on his hands and the smell of death seeming to linger in his room.

"Now, now, Mei Lian." Elric said calmly, his tone comforting, "You can't blame Penny for remembering Tria. You wouldn't want to forget her, would you?"

"Of course not!" Mei Lian cried, insulted, "I could never forget about Tria!" She then looked at her hands, which were trembling slightly. "It's just that…"

"Remembering her makes you miss her more." Elric finished for her, nodding in understanding, "I know the feeling. Believe me, I do. I feel the exact same way."

"You seem to handle it well." Mei Lian muttered. Penny patted her arm soothingly.

"I like to think about the fond memories I have of her, and how lucky I am to have known her." Elric replied, smiling fondly, "That's how I cope."

Mei Lian looked at him for a minute before wiping her eyes and nodding resolutely.

"Yeah." she said, blinking away her tears before smiling, just shy of challenging, "You're right. I think I'll do that."

"We all will." Penny added, smiling again, "Tria would've wanted it that way."

"Indeed." Elric said, "By the way, the Captain wants all Wardens to meet him in his office he can assign teams for Tria's tournament."

At the mention of the tournament, Mei Lian perked up.

"All right! Let's go, Penny! I wanna see what team I'm on!" she yelled, dragging the protesting blond into the Fossil Center. Elric smiled at her enthusiasm before speaking again.

"That means you too, Hanzo." he said to the ninja who had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation, "Head to the Captain's office for your team assignment."

The ninja dropped down from his hiding spot atop the Garage, landing silently.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked in shocked confusion, "No one has been able to sense me before!"

Elric laughed. "You're forgetting, Hanzo, that I know who you learned that technique from, and that I'd worked with her for years. Whatever trick you've learned from her, I'm already familiar with."

Hanzo snorted, already thinking of new ways to sneak past Elric's senses and experience.

"By the way, Hanzo, do you know where Liu Ren is?" Elric asked.

Hanzo nodded. "Yes. He was meditating in the Earth Dragon's cave. He was heading back when I arrived here."

"All right. I'll wait here for him. You go on ahead." Elric replied, nodding to Hanzo in thanks. Hanzo nodded in return, disappearing in a cloud of white smoke. Elric looked back at the Garage right as the leader of Fossil Park Asia, Liu Ren, came up the stairs. He smiled in greeting.

"Good morning, Liu Ren."

"Oh, good morning, Elric." Liu Ren replied, smiling kindly, "You're looking well."

"As are you, Liu Ren." Elric said, "Did you have a nice chat with the Earth Dragon?"

Liu Ren nodded. "Indeed. Though it took a rather nostalgic turn after a while."

"Nostalgic?" Elric asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Liu Ren nodded again. "Yes. Many of our chats seem to turn to Tria toward the end." he said, smiling sadly, "Her influence is quite far-reaching."

Elric nodded, smiling gently. "She did have that effect. Just another part of her charm." The two calm, wise males shared a moment of silent remembrance before Elric reported, "Captain Stryker wants all Wardens to report to his office. It's time to announce the teams."

"I see." Liu Ren replied, almost looking excited, "Then I shall head there. Thank you."

"My pleasure." Elric said, heading into the Fossil Center as well, "Now I just need to retrieve the American and European Wardens."

"Good luck with that." Liu Ren said, a light laugh in his voice.

"Thank you, Liu Ren." Elric replied with a sigh, "I have a feeling I'll need it." And with that, he entered the World Gate.

In America, Elric made his way to the Vivosaur Gym, knowing he would find one of the American Wardens there. Sure enough, as he entered the large building behind the Fossil Center, he saw a heated battle between two large flying vivosaurs and an even larger, heavily scarred theropod vivosaur. The larger vivosaur roared with glee at the challenge the two agile opponents brought him. The fighter commanding the two pterosaurs stood on a platform a short distance away. Or rather, the fighter commanding one of the vivosaurs while letting the other fight on his own, the fighter still without the ability to control more than one vivosaur at a time.

"Coatlus! Vast Tornado!" Leon called to the Fire-type pterosaur he was training. Said pterosaur shrieked excitedly, spinning around the massive form of Lythro, one of Tria's warriors, to create powerful swirling winds around him. Ptera, Leon's most trusted partner, screeched as he added his Chaos Twister to the mix, the joint assault enough to blow away most opponents. Lythro, however, was not just any opponent, and he merely shook off the attack before countering with his Head Shredder, his blade-like horns knocking both pterosaurs away from him. As the two vivosaurs struggled to stay in the air, Elric walked onto the battlefield, as calmly confident as ever.

"Sorry to interrupt such fun." he called, raising his voice so as to be heard by the vivosaurs that towered over him, "But I bring a message from the Captain."

The fighter and the vivosaurs turned to look down at the silver-haired human. Leon climbed down from his platform, walking over to his comrade.

"The Captain?" he asked in confusion, "What does he want?"

"For all Wardens to report to his office for their team assignments for the Angel's Cup." Elric replied, not missing a beat. His cocky smirk turned briefly into something more genuine when Leon didn't cringe when he mentioned the word 'team'.

"Right now?" Leon asked in slight frustration. When Elric nodded, he sighed, recalling Ptera and Coatlus before nodding back. "Fine. Whatever. I'll mosey on over there." he said, turning upward and calling to the large carnivore, "Thanks again, Lythro! Same time tomorrow?"

Lythro roared in response, " _You got it!_ "

Leon left, with Elric following shortly, Lythro's Dino Gear in hand.

"I've gotta hand it to Tria." Leon laughed to himself fondly, "She knows how to train strong vivosaurs."

"A strong leader raises strong followers." Elric replied, his fondness matching Leon's, "And Tria was the strongest I've ever known."

"We'll make this a tournament worthy of her memory!" Leon declared confidently as he entered the World Gate.

While the punk Warden headed through the World Gate, Elric heard a young voice call out to him.

"Hey! Elric!" the small boy with rusty-red hair bounded up to the older male, grinning broadly, "What are you doing here in America?"

Elric chuckled, kneeling down to the boy's level and ruffling his hair.

"Just on a little gathering mission, Lucky." Elric replied, smiling at the boy, "The Wardens need their team assignments for the Angel's Cup."

"Oooooh. I can't wait for the Angel's Cup! I got a front row seat!" Lucky cried excitedly, bouncing up-and-down energetically.

"Courtesy of Leon, no doubt." Elric mumbled, chuckling again.

Lucky smiled, but then his face fell and took on a sadder expression. When Elric tilted his head, Lucky asked, "Do you think…Tria will be watching, too?"

Elric smiled, his hand gripping the boy's shoulder in a compassionate gesture. "Tria wouldn't miss her tournament for the world."

Lucky smiled, wiping the tears from his eyes before running into the Fossil Center, likely heading for the Vivosaur Gym. He still copied most of Leon's habits, but that wasn't such a bad thing anymore.

Heading into the Fossil Stadium, which was where Lucky had just come from, Elric found a large group of people gathered in the center of the red carpet leading to the reception desk. Even through the loud clamor of the fans, Elric could still hear the noisy laughter of Dino Gigante, and as he got closer, he could see the bright gleam of the famous 'Prince of Grins': the Flying Smile Kid. They were having one of their autograph sessions, signing everything from baseball bats to hats to shirts and pants, even signing the arms and other body parts of some of their more…devoted fans.

Elric stood to the side of the crowd, knowing that, even though Dino Gigante wouldn't notice him, the Flying Smile Kid would. He'd never turn a blind eye to a fellow Warden.

"Elric! Fancy seein' you here!" the Kid cried in greeting, grinning broadly as he strode over to the silver-haired male, "You want an autograph, too?"

Elric smiled. "Not this time, Kid. I was actually looking for Park Leader Sean. I have orders for him from the Captain."

The Flying Smile Kid tilted his head and made a noise of confusion. He then nodded to Elric and turned back to his fans and rival.

"All right, everyone! Session's over!" he announced, continuing over the disappointed moans of his fans, "There are preparations that must be attended to."

When the fans continued to make a fuss, Elric stepped forward.

"Yes. Preparations concerning the Angel's Cup." he added, his voice carrying over the complaints before effectively silencing them. Even Dino and the Kid were temporarily frozen by this revelation.

"Well…" one of the fans muttered.

"If it's for the Angel's Cup…" another whispered.

"Come on, guys! We need to get ready for the Angel's Cup, too!" And with that, the fans all stormed out of the Fossil Stadium, with some of them even chanting Tria's name. The Kid looked at Dino.

"Then I shall see you at the Cup, old friend?"

"Gya ha ha! Of course! Dino Gigante will be in the front row!" Dino Gigante replied, laughing, "He'll be expecting a battle for the ages!"

"And you shall get it!" the Flying Smile Kid replied confidently, "The spirit of the mask wills it so!"

Dino Gigante laughed again as he walked out of the Stadium. The Flying Smile Kid, with the common area of the Stadium cleared, removed his mask and faced Elric, still grinning.

"Now, Elric. What did the Captain want?"

"Sorry to interrupt your session with the fans, Sean, but the Captain wants all Wardens in his office so he can assign teams for the Angel's Cup."

Sean nodded, as if he had been expecting those orders. "Right! We must make this tournament worthy of Tria's memory! We'll show the world the smiles she brought to us!"

"I certainly hope so. The light of those smiles will also light Tria's soul." Elric said, smiling at the tall American leader. He then asked, "By the way, Sean, where's your sister?"

Sean glanced at the Garage as he and Elric exited the Fossil Stadium. "Goldrush Canyon. The T-rex Sue has been getting dangerously aggressive lately, so she went to deal with it. I think Gorgo's there, too."

Elric nodded in thanks to the American leader as they parted ways, Sean heading for the World Gate and Elric heading for Goldrush Canyon. The silver male raced toward Mt. Dinomore, where the T-rex Sue normally resided.

As he drove up the metal ramps leading to the elevated plateau, he saw Becky's light blue Heavy Hauler facing the agitated carnivore. In front of the vehicle stood two other carnivorous vivosaurs, the Neutral-type Big Allo who was Becky's most trusted partner and the Fire-type Gorgo who had been trained by Tria after he had attacked her during her first day at Warden HQ. The two vivosaurs roared at the T-rex Sue, trying to reason with her. The massive carnivore roared back, undeterred and infuriated, and charged at her opponents, jaws agape. Gorgo countered with Shoulder Tackle, using his extensive battle experience to evade the T-rex Sue's Deadly Fangs and shove her backward. Big Allo used Beastly Bite to capture T-rex Sue's neck, but the larger carnivore shook him off easily, roaring in rage and distress.

"Hang in there, Big Allo!" Becky called over her radio, "We can't let her continue like this!"

Big Allo roared in response, swinging his tail at T-rex Sue's legs and tripping her. As the carnivore fell, Gorgo bit down on her neck and held her there. T-rex Sue bellowed, thrashing wildly, but despite her obvious defeat, she wouldn't revert back to her Dino Gear. Elric drove up to Becky's Heavy Hauler.

"Having trouble, Becky?" he asked the veteran American Warden. Becky started, turning to look at her screen so fast her ponytail almost whacked her in the face.

"Oh! Elric!" she cried, surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"I bring orders from the Captain. All Wardens must report to his office immediately for the Angel's Cup team assignments." Elric replied with practiced ease.

"Oh dear…" Becky muttered, looking back at the struggling T-rex Sue, "I can't leave this T-rex Sue like this, but she utterly refuses to return to her Dino Gear. Even when she's completely and unmistakably defeated, she just lies there. She attacks anything that approaches this plateau with a ferocity I've never seen before, and this stubbornness makes Leon look like a pushover!"

Elric chuckled at the comparison before asking, "Does she only attack those who approach the plateau? No one else?"

Becky nodded, looking at Elric in confusion. Elric watched the female T-rex, the look in her eyes pitiful, then he nodded to himself and ordered, "Gorgo! Release her! We're backing down for now!"

Gorgo glared back at Elric defiantly. He wasn't Gorgo's alpha, so why was he giving the orders? Still, Gorgo remembered his last confrontation with Elric, where he had ended up getting crushed under Toba's feet, so he simply complied, letting go of T-rex Sue's neck and stepping back as she stood up shakily and huddled against the rocks at the edge of the plateau.

"What are you doing, Elric?" Becky cried in astonishment.

"There's something complicated going on here." Elric replied, "And we don't have the time to deal with it properly. Seal off this area for now, and we'll deal with it after the meeting."

Becky looked at the defeated but standing T-rex Sue once more before sighing and withdrawing Big Allo, driving back down the ramp as she announced the sealing of Mt. Dinomore. Elric caught Gorgo's Dino Gear and drove after Becky.

"Hey, Elric." she asked him, "You said something complicated was going on with the T-rex Sue. Do you know what's wrong with her?"

Elric shook his head. "Sadly, no. I know that something is wrong, but I don't know what."

Becky looked down at her steering wheel, thinking to herself before asking hesitantly, "Do you think…Tria might've known what's wrong with T-rex Sue?"

Elric thought about that before shrugging. "Probably. She was always good at sensing things like that."

Becky smiled sadly. "I still miss her." she whispered, "I hope she can see us from wherever she is."

"I'm sure she can." Elric replied, "She lives on in our hearts and her spirit watches over us. Our memories give her life."

Becky smiled, heading into the World Gate after her brother. Elric followed her, but instead of Fossil Park Asia, his destination was Fossil Park Europe, where he had to summon the rest of the Wardens.

When he stepped out of the World Gate into the European Fossil Center, he looked around, taking a moment to enjoy the classical feel of the building. He then headed out into the Garage, immediately driving out into the Frozen Wastes, which had been temporarily closed down for training. The training of the Park's resident leader.

"GRROOOAAH!" the thundering roars of Cerato and Ankylo BO echoed across the icy mountains as they faced off against their massive opponent.

"GRRAAAAWRR!" the massive carnivore referred to as the Raja Devil bellowed back in challenge, countering the joint assault.

"GRRRROOOOAAAWRR!" the fiercest of the voices shook the entire range, "YES! BRING IT DOWN! I SHALL TURN YOU INTO MINCEMEAT AND COOK YOU IN A STEW OF YOUR OWN BLOOD! THEN I SHALL DRINK THE STEW WITH CRACKERS MADE FROM YOUR BONES!"

Elric laughed at Drake's gleeful bloodlust. He was used to dealing with violent tempers that awakened in battle, although Drake's unbridled fury, like an out-of-control wildfire, was certainly a change from the quiet, seething rage Tria'd had that more resembled the growth and destructive power of a hurricane. The space-time engineer glanced at the massive carnivore Drake's team was sparring against.

The Raja Devil had, for a long time, ruled the Frozen Wastes digsite, its power and vicious aggression forcing the Wardens to close the site. It was reopened after Drake and Tria had to defeat and capture the Raja Devil in order to retrieve a pile of Cosmonium it had been guarding. Tria had also been chased by Drake during his battle-fueled rage, but she'd enjoyed the thrill, familiar enough with dangerous situations to not be frightened or disturbed by an out-of-control viking threatening to turn her into a sandwich. Anyway, after the capture of the Raja Devil, it was given to Leader Drake, who used it for battle training and an outlet to vent his rage and quench his thirst for violence. The Raja Devil didn't seem to mind, however, and even seemed to enjoy having a worthy foe to consistently spar with.

Elric drove up to the battle, stopping just behind the European leader. It was difficult to snap Drake out of his battle-fueled trance. Still, he had to get the Park leader to go to the Captain's office for the meeting, one way or another. He drove up beside the teal Rock Crusher and pressed a button in his Speed Demon, activating a recording he'd put in its speaker system.

" _BACK DOWN!"_ the recorded voice of Tria's Heaven's Call filled the battlefield with the intimidation and authority the half-dinaurian had possessed in life. The Raja Devil's eyes widened and it screamed, fleeing into its Dino Gear. Cerato and Ankylo BO trembled, but shook it off, their berserker fighter giving them the confidence to stand up against even Tria's intimidation tactic. The fact that their fighter knew the sound was just a recording didn't help matters.

"HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT MY FIGHT!?" Drake roared, turning his Bone Buggy around to face Elric, "I SHALL CRUSH YOU AND TURN YOU INTO JAM FOR MY TOAST!" His vivosaurs bellowed in agreement.

"Some other time, perhaps." Elric said calmly, smiling at the excited viking, "Right now, you need to report to the Captain to prepare for the Angel's Cup."

At the mention of Tria's tournament, Drake suddenly went quiet. His wild eyes softened and he seemed to shrink in on himself. "Th-The Angel's Cup?" he asked timidly, "I-In that case, I guess I can…stop training for now. I shouldn't…miss this meeting."

"Indeed not." Elric said, leading the viking leader out of the frozen digsite, "It's bound to be an interesting tournament, worthy of an interesting Warden."

"I'm…sorry, Elric." Drake apologized, "That you had to…see me like that."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Drake. I am used to dealing with berserkers." Elric replied kindly, "You're not the first person I've had to talk out of a bloodthirsty trance."

"…Y-You mean…?" Drake practically squeaked.

"Yeah." Elric said, nodding, "Tria. She was cold and calculating in battle, but that didn't make her any less ruthless. If anything, handling you is much easier."

Drake looked down at his steering wheel, thinking to himself before asking hesitantly, "Is that wh-why…she wasn't…afraid of me?"

Elric nodded again. "Probably. She knew that, no matter how crazy you got, she could match you, and since she knew the mindset, she knew how best to deal with it." Elric smiled at the shy viking, "She saw you as a kindred spirit of sorts. A fellow warrior."

Drake blushed, looking away in embarrassment, but he was smiling. After he left the Garage, Elric turned his Speed Demon around and drove through the portal again, this time heading to Yodel Hills. He made a bee-line for the Crystal Ball +1, knowing that was where he would find Europe's resident psychic Warden.

Sure enough, as he approached the giant crystal ball, he saw the purple witch sitting on top of it, her eyes closed and her hands flat against the smooth opalescent surface in front of her crossed legs. She was humming to herself. As Elric got closer, he saw her purple Digger's Rig at the side of the clearing, and curled around the ball as a guard was the massive silver sauropod that was the youngest member of Tria's team, Diplo. He opened one violet eye when he heard Elric approach and lifted his head, bellowing in greeting and alerting Violet to the other Warden's presence.

"I thought you'd be showing up, Elric." Violet said through her humming, "I've been waiting for you."

"If that's the case, then you must also know why I'm here." Elric replied easily.

"Indeed." Violet hummed, opening her eyes and sliding down the Crystal Ball +1, landing on Diplo's head. The sauropod let her onto her Bone Buggy. "You've come to tell me that the Captain has summoned us to discuss the teams for Tria's Cup."

"Quite so." Elric confirmed, chuckling, "That makes my job much easier." He held out his hand, catching Diplo's Dino Gear before following Violet. "Did the Crystal Ball +1 tell you that?"

"Actually…" Violet muttered, becoming somewhat solemn, "Tria told me. She even told me who my teammates are. She wouldn't tell me who's going to win, though."

"Ah. She's been watching, has she? How very like her." Elric laughed.

Violet smiled. "She said she's always watching over us, and that she's looking forward to the tournament."

"I'm sure she is." Elric said, smiling as well, "By the way, did she tell you where I could find Dahlia?"

Violet stopped driving for a minute and stared off into space. Elric stopped with her. She then closed her eyes for a few seconds before sighing and looking at Elric.

"She says Dahlia's racing around Winding Road. Look for Thalasso; he's flying over her."

"Thank you. Both of you." Elric said, smiling with gratitude before heading though the portal, traveling directly from Yodel Hills to Winding Road while Violet returned to the Fossil Park.

Once Elric exited the portal, he immediately drove up onto a ledge, looking for the Water-type pterosaur that was the fastest and most agile member of Tria's team. As soon as he spotted the pterosaur, he waved him over, backing up his Speed Demon to give Thalasso room to land.

" _You called, Master Elric?_ " Thalasso asked, his respectful nature making him give the friend of his former fighter a title similar to hers.

"Indeed I did, Thalasso." Elric replied, "I need to get a hold of Dahlia. Think you can help me?"

" _Of course._ " Thalasso said, turning around and letting Elric climb onto his back, " _She's speeding around the track here. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to her movements, though, so she won't be easy to catch._ "

"I think we can manage." Elric said as Thalasso took off, "Just get me where I can see her."

Thalasso obliged, soaring into the air effortlessly. Once they were high enough, Elric looked down, watching the small red blur that was Dahlia's Speed Demon zoom around the racing digsite.

" _What do you think?_ " Thalasso asked the boy on his back.

Elric didn't answer immediately, watching the speeding blur intently. It was true that there was no obvious pattern to her chosen path, but Elric's eyes couldn't be fooled so easily.

"Land over there, Thalasso." he commanded, pointing to the area of road leading to one of the Challenge Routes, "She'll come through there soon."

Thalasso looked at the boy, confusion evident in the vivosaur's eyes, but he didn't question the human, gliding down and landing in the middle of the road. Sure enough, less than a minute later, Dahlia drove down the winding path, speeding directly toward the duo. When she saw them, she slammed the brakes, stopping right in front of them.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Dahlia cried, glaring at the two, "Do you have any idea how close I just came to running into you?!"

"I'm sorry, Dahlia." Elric apologized, not sounding sorry in the least, "But I have orders for you from the Captain. You are to report to his office immediately so he can assign teams for the Angel's Cup."

"Oh, right!" Dahlia cried, going from angry to excited in the blink of an eye, "In that case, I'll be off! See ya later, slowpokes!" She then drove off, leaving the boy and vivosaur in the dust.

" _I don't know how she does it._ " Thalasso sighed as he carried Elric back to his own Bone Buggy, " _When I even try to keep up with her, I crash from exhaustion._ "

"That's just how she rolls." Elric replied, shrugging, "Every part of her body seems to be designed to work several times faster than most people."

When Thalasso landed and returned to his Dino Gear, Elric got into his Bone Buggy, surprised to find Dahlia waiting for him.

"Hey, Elric." she said as soon as her face appeared on his screen, "I was wondering. How did you know where to intercept me? Even I didn't know where I was going."

Elric smiled. "I have observed that, despite the apparent randomness of fast-moving creatures, there are patterns to their movements. The patterns are often subconscious, but they're there, if you know what to look for."

"And how do you know that?" Dahlia asked suspiciously, "Have you been watching me or something?"

"Oh no. Nothing like that." Elric said, laughing fondly, "I'm just used to working with someone who could match even your speed. And that's without a Bone Buggy."

Dahlia gasped as her eyes widened, only to have the breath catch in her throat as she looked down.

"…I still wished I could've raced her. In her true form. I have dreams about it, you know. The ending is always unclear."

"I'm sure Tria would've loved to race you." Elric said as he and Dahlia walked through the World Gate. Dahlia headed toward the Captain's office, but stopped and turned to look at the silver-haired male when she saw he wasn't following.

"Aren't you coming, Elric?"

"No. I already know what team I'm on." Elric replied, putting his hands in his pockets, "Besides, there's someone I need to check on."

Dahlia looked at him for a moment before shrugging and getting into the elevator. Elric walked out of the Fossil Center, laying his hand over Tria's Dino Gears.

"Is he in his usual place?" Elric asked the vivosaurs in his pocket.

" _Is he ever anywhere else?_ " Lythro asked rhetorically.

" _The Angel's Cup is coming soon._ " Stego explained in an understanding tone, " _All the humans are talking about it nonstop._ "

" _It has been rather annoying._ " Thalasso muttered tiredly.

" _I don't think that's the problem._ " Diplo stated, his empathetic perception far exceeding that of most vivosaurs, " _In talking about the Angel's Cup, they often talk about Tria, too. That tends to upset him._ "

" _We still need to find him._ " Gorgo growled, speaking as the team's second-in-command, " _After the humans are done discussing their teams, their leader will probably want to talk to us about the final._ "

"We also have some work to do before then." Elric said to the vivosaurs, "Let's go find him."

He drove into the Paradise Beach digsite, the site where all rookie Wardens were trained. It was also where Tria had faced and captured Gorgo. Due to the meeting all of the Wardens were in, the site was deserted. Even the rogue vivosaurs were scarce, which only confirmed the group's suspicions. He was there.

Elric drove through the calm tropical site, heading for a clearing deep within the digsite. As he drove around one of the turns, he saw who he had been searching for. The massive, metallic red form of the current alpha of Tria's team lay in the center of the clearing, emerald eyes staring sadly at the space in front of him, not really seeing it. The Crimson Ravager, Nibbles.

Elric stepped forward, placing a hand on the vivosaur's large head as the other members of the team materialized.

"Hey there, Nibbles." Elric said to the metallic Fire-type carnivore, "You all right?"

Nibbles sighed, glancing at Elric before his eyes returned to the area straight ahead. The other vivosaurs gathered around their alpha, knowing exactly what was going on and content to join him. Elric looked out over the ocean, still stroking a hand over Nibbles' head.

" _I was remembering._ " Nibbles said after a while, " _All of the humans are talking about her. Their words are fond, but they still make me miss her._ "

"I know what you mean, my friend." Elric sighed, leaning against Nibbles' head in quiet companionship.

" _We can't just lay around sulking._ " Thalasso said, sitting on Stego's backplates like he usually did, " _She taught us better than that._ "

" _That doesn't mean we can't remember her."_ Stego defended, " _We should never forget her._ "

" _It's one thing to remember her._ " Lythro growled, annoyed, " _But lying around for hours on end sighing and feeling sorry for ourselves is a disgrace to her memory._ " Nibbles snorted, having heard that comment enough times to no longer be fazed by it.

" _The main thing that's been upsetting me recently is a feeling of…vulnerability._ " Diplo supplied cautiously, backing away when the rest of his teammates looked at him curiously.

" _I'll second that._ " Gorgo supported Diplo, " _With her power and guidance, it felt like we could do anything._ "

" _None of that matters now._ " Nibbles sighed, finally standing up and turning to face his team, " _Tria's gone; we can't change that. She died to protect us, so we in turn protect the Fossil Parks with our own strength. That's what Tria wanted._ "

Elric watched as the team nodded, heading back toward the Fossil Park as the Captain's voice called through an earpiece Nibbles carried with him. He then stood in the clearing for a time, staring out into the ocean again. He shook his head, refusing to become too excited as he got into his Speed Demon and drove back to the Park.

"They're right. She's gone. We're on our own now. Aren't we?"


	3. Stirring

The lab was empty when he entered. The two who were normally there were upstairs with the rest of the Wardens, discussing plans for the tournament. He walked past the complicated devices that littered the room where the young genius spent most of his time, not sparing them so much as a glance. He slipped his hand under one of the desks, movement smooth with practice, and pressed a button hidden there. A door at the back of the lab opened, letting a rush of chilled air fill the room. He slipped into the hidden room, closing the door behind him before any of the chill could reach the outside.

The room was a freezer, and his breath came out with visible puffs of mist as he walked toward the back, careful not to slip on the ice that covered the floor. No one went in there, not since it was frozen over three months ago, leaving everything with the desolate feel of a city fallen to ruin. He strode over to the machine at the far end of the room, his movements careful and precise.

The machine used to be a hibernation device, used to keep beings in a state of suspended animation for extended periods of time. Now it was used for preservation, keeping the thing within it intact with the aid of the frozen air. He put his hand on the lid of the machine, running his fingers over the smooth, icy surface before carefully lifting it and looking at the contents.

He smiled sadly at the one the machine held. A body torn apart on the inside and out, it hadn't changed in the slightest since it had been placed in the container. At least, it didn't seem to have, at first glance, but when he looked again, he noticed there was a light within it, a light previously absent, or unseen.

As if in response, the light gathering within the device he carried brightened, nearly burning through his hand. He looked down at it curiously, his eyes narrowing, before placing it on the body's chest and stepping back, watching closely. The light from the device flashed more brightly for a second, becoming blinding as the room filled with light, forcing him to cover his eyes and turn away. When the light died down, he walked back over to the body. The device had completely lost all of its light, leaving it cold and empty. He picked it up and sighed, stroking his fingers over the body's head gently. He then jumped back, slipping and falling onto the icy floor, staring up speechlessly as the golden gaze fixed on him.


	4. Preparation

The Fossil Parks were bustling with activity. The Angel's Cup was only a week away, and everyone was psyched. In Europe, the Frozen Wastes digsite was being prepared for the Time Attack portion, clearing out snowdrifts and gathering the rogues that live there. Meanwhile, in Asia, the Fossil Stadium was being decorated for the tournament. Wardens and vivosaurs worked together with the help of the translators Professor Little had invented, the vivosaurs of Tria's team helping on their own accord. Gorgo, Lythro, and Nibbles helped in Frozen Wastes, their strength making gathering the rogue vivosaurs easier and Nibbles' fire clearing the ice and snow more quickly than any Bone Buggy. Meanwhile, Thalasso, Stego, and Diplo helped with decorating the Fossil Stadium, lifting the humans to the appropriate heights.

"A little to the left, Thalasso!" Penny called to the pterosaur, indicating with her hands where he should put the other end of the banner over the Stadium entrance. Thalasso complied, placing it where Penny told him.

Inside the Stadium arena, Nate was placing streamers on the wall and in front of the spectator seats, marking the VIP seats as well. To reach them, he stood precariously on Stego's backplates, occasionally being lifted higher by Diplo when he needed to reach the seats.

"Almost…" Nate muttered, reaching to put up the last streamer while standing on his tiptoes on Diplo's head, "Almost…Hah! I got it!"

"Nate!" Penny cried suddenly as she rode into the arena on Thalasso's back. Nate, startled by the girl's sudden appearance, lurched off balance and fell from the sauropod's head.

"AAAHHHH!" Nate screamed as he fell, only to be cut short by the sudden stop as Thalasso caught him by his jacket. When the flying vivosaur set the human on the ground, Nate fell to his knees, gasping for breath while Penny stood over him, her hands on her hips.

"What were you thinking, Nate?!" she scolded her teammate, "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?! You could've been killed!"

"I was fine until you surprised me…" Nate muttered under his breath, asking in a louder voice, "What do you want, anyway?"

"Oh, I was just looking for Roland. Have you seen him?" Penny asked, helping Nate to his feet.

"Oh. He went to Paradise Beach with Elric to investigate that weird trend with the vivosaurs." Nate replied, dusting himself off, "Apparently the teams clearing the rogues out of the Frozen Wastes heard the rogues there saying some weird things, so they sent Roland and Elric to see if they were saying the same things here in Asia. Leon and Lucky are checking out the sites in America."

"Weird things? Like what?" Penny asked curiously.

"You mean you haven't heard?" Nate asked in surprise, "Apparently, the rogue vivosaurs are talking about this really powerful 'alpha' vivosaur recently. They keep referring to it as the 'Commander'."

"The Commander?" Penny asked nervously, "What kind of vivosaur is it?"

"That's just it. No one knows." Nate said, always eager to tell an interesting story, "The vivosaurs never say more than its name, and we haven't seen it. Even the rogues only started talking about it about a week ago."

"Oooh." Penny gasped, staring at the pink-haired male with wide eyes, "Scary. So this 'Commander' vivosaur just showed up out of the blue and is so strong that every rogue knows about it, but we haven't seen any sign of its existence other than the rogues' words?"

"That's pretty much it." another voice answered. The two Asian Wardens looked to see Elric and Roland approaching them.

"Roland! Elric!" Penny cried in greeting.

"Did you hear anything?" Nate asked, cutting straight to the point.

"Yeah!" Roland answered, "The rogues in Paradise Beach were also talking about this 'Commander'."

"Did you learn anything about it?" Penny asked, nervous again.

"Not really, no." Roland muttered, disappointed.

"I have to report to Captain Stryker." Elric said, leaving the group gossiping amongst themselves. He had heard something else about the Commander, but he decided that the Captain should be the first to hear of it.

As he stepped out of the elevator, he noticed that Leon was already giving his report to the Captain. Leon had become a very dependable Warden, as well as a great leader, frequently leading missions himself. He led the investigation of the rogues' behavior in America; it looked like he had just finished there.

"…so basically, the rogues in America have also heard of the 'Commander', whatever it is." Leon concluded, standing tall before the Captain.

"Hm." Captain Stryker hummed thoughtfully, "This is troubling. Did you find out anything new about this 'Commander', Leon?"

"Actually…" Leon muttered, and both Elric and Captain Stryker perked up, "I only heard this from a couple of rogues, so I don't know how reliable it is, but…" He trailed off, only continuing after receiving an encouraging nod from the Captain, "Some of the rogues in Starry Falls were discussing the Commander, and I heard one of them mention that it's apparently weak, and is regaining its strength somewhere."

"Regaining its strength?" the Captain mumbled, more to himself than to anyone in the room, "Is it really weak?"

"That fits." Elric said as he approached the other two Wardens, "With what I heard in Paradise Beach."

Captain Stryker and Leon turned to look at their silver-haired comrade as he approached them. "You heard something too, Elric?"

"Indeed." he said, standing in front of the Captain's desk, "And it would not only explain this Commander's supposedly weakened state, but also why we haven't heard anything about it until now."

"Well? What is it, Elric?" Leon asked impatiently.

Elric looked at the moody Warden in mild irritation. "Apparently, whatever this Commander creature is, it's been in a state of dormancy until recently. I heard a few rogues in Paradise Beach mention how it had just 'woken up'."

The other two Wardens looked at each other, their eyes wide.

"I see." the Captain mumbled, resting his elbows on his desk and interlacing his fingers, "So we're dealing with a mysterious vivosaur that has been lying dormant somewhere in the Fossil Parks and has only just emerged. It is still weak, and is steadily regaining its strength, but we don't know what it is, what it wants, or what it's capable of. Is that the situation?" When his two subordinates nodded, he sighed, closing his eyes as he thought to himself.

"What should we do, Captain?" Leon asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Hm." Captain Stryker hummed again to himself, opening his eyes to look at his emissary, "You have more experience understanding what the vivosaurs say than we do, Elric. What do you think?"

Elric thought to himself for a moment, crossing his arms and looking at the floor.

"What tones have the vivosaurs' voices held, and what kind of physical movements were they making when they spoke of the Commander? That will tell us something about the intentions surrounding this mysterious figure."

"Tones?" Leon asked, crossing his arms as well, "I don't know. Casual? Respectful?"

"Any signs of hostility or aggression? Were any of them training, as if preparing to fight?"

"No!" Leon replied, sounding surprised, "If I had seen or heard anything like that, I would've reported it first!"

"Then I don't think we're in danger." Elric stated confidently, "If this Commander was planning an attack or something along those lines, the vivosaurs would be showing signs of it. As it stands, there doesn't seem to be anything signaling danger."

"In that case," the Captain said after hearing Elric's explanation, "We should leave things as they are and focus on the tournament. We wouldn't want to cause a panic and ruin everyone's good mood for no reason."

"Yes sir!" Elric and Leon both responded before leaving the Captain's office. As they waited for the elevator to descend, Leon turned to Elric.

"Do you really think we're in no danger?" he asked the eccentric male.

"Of course." Elric replied, leaning back and crossing his arms, "I would've told you if I thought we were."

Leon stared at the elevator doors, not commenting. Then, after a slight pause, asked, "What do you think it is, this 'Commander' the rogues are all talking about?"

Elric pondered, staring at the doors as well before answering, "I don't really know. One would assume that it is an exceptionally powerful vivosaur, but the Raja Devil is strong for a rogue, and we've never heard anyone give him a title like Commander, so there may be more to it than just power."

"Maybe it's stronger than the Raja Devil?" Leon said apprehensively, knowing the power of the massive carnivore in Drake's possession.

"Probably." Elric said more casually, "But the Raja Devil is merely a berserker that only cares about fighting. He doesn't have the mental capacity to be the leader of anything. Since this creature has been given a title, even though it's still supposedly weak, it not only implies respect, but also an intelligence level high enough to be a leader worthy of the title 'Commander'."

"Powerful and intelligent, huh? Not sure I like the sound of that." Leon growled cynically as the elevator doors opened, "That means it'll be hard to defeat when it comes to that."

"Why are you assuming this Commander figure's an enemy?" Elric asked curiously, "How do you know it's not a neutral party? Or better still, an ally?"

Leon huffed. "Because I'm not so optimistic or naïve that I'd hope for something so highly unlikely."

"Neither am I." Elric replied, smiling, "But I also know that, if you only see the negative things in the world, you'll be very unhappy."

Leon huffed again, turning his head away to make it clear that he was done with the conversation. Which was good, because an excited redhead then came running up to the duo, almost vibrating with energy.

"Come on, guys! They're setting up the track in the Frozen Wastes! Let's go! Let's go! Let's GO!" Dahlia practically yelled at the two males.

"So what? Why do we need to go out there?" Leon asked, still in a bit of a bad mood, "Don't they have enough people there already?"

"Not a chance!" Dahlia replied, unfazed by the boy's attitude, "They need as many flying vivosaurs as they can get to lift the buffers onto the cliffs, and you have two of them!"

Leon sighed, the sigh then turning into a groan as he was dragged into the World Gate. Neither Warden noticed Elric remain behind, nor did they stick around long enough to see him walk out of the Fossil Center with a small bag in his hand.


	5. Rise

Paradise Beach was the safest dig site in the Fossil Parks, used primarily for training new recruits for the Wardens. Even so, it was still creepy at night, especially with the tension that was in the air as every rogue vivosaur in the site, from the gentle Lophus MN and timid Proto to the ferocious Alxas and powerful Tarbo, gathered around the small clearing in the center of the dig site. Barely more than a crevice with a patch of grass surrounding a puddle of water, it had been the favorite spot of the Tarbo. This night, however, another creature inhabited it, a creature neither human nor vivosaur. It lay there, unable to move, as it waited.

Atop the cliff surrounding the clearing stood a figure. He was waiting as well, his arms crossed over his chest as the sea breeze tugged at his hair. Suddenly, the wind picked up, forming a small twister that swirled around the clearing before focusing itself and landing next to the figure. As the swirling winds subsided, another man appeared, getting up from his kneeling position to face the figure who had been waiting for him.

"I see you made it." the figure greeted the other male, "I was beginning to think you'd been caught."

"Never!" the man who had just arrived said indignantly, "I can never be caught!" He handed the figure the small pack he was carrying. "I got what you wanted, though I cannot fathom why you do. There'll be hell to pay when they're found to be missing."

"Their absence won't be noticed." the figure replied confidently, "They'll be returned before dawn."

"Returned?! You never asked me to return them!" the man yelled, startled.

"That's because I don't need you to return them. Once this is done, someone else will be able to do the task." the figure glanced sideways at the other man, "And that someone won't ask for payment. Not monetary, anyway." He then opened the pack and looked inside. "Are they all here?"

"Of course. Every one on the list you gave me." the man replied, getting irritated. He then looked down at the creature resting in the crevice, listening to them even though its eyes were closed. "What are you going to do, anyway?"

The figure glanced skeptically at the man, asking with a smirk, "Do you really want to know?"

The man was taken aback by the ominous tone in the figure's voice. "…No. On second thought, I don't." He turned away from the figure, stating dismissively, "Well, if that's all you need from me, I'll be off!" And with that, he disappeared just as he had appeared, with a twister swirling around the crevice before vanishing. The rogues didn't so much as take notice.

The figure looked in the pack, taking out the Dino Gears one by one and tossing them into air. Each vivosaur materialized and landed on the cliff with the figure. The pterosaur hovered over the figure's head, his pride keeping him in the air. Next to him, the medium-sized theropod gnashed his teeth together as the smaller raptor stood on his back. On the figure's other side stood a much larger carnivore not unlike the one that normally lived in the crevice. He too had a raptor on his back, along with a small ceratopsian at his feet. Next to the medium-sized carnivore was a large armored herbivore, who thrashed his tail in excitement. A smaller, duck-billed herbivore lounged on his back while an even smaller herbivore bounced around next to him. Across from the figure stood a massive sailed carnivore, long crocodilian muzzle held high with authority. Behind him stood an even more massive herbivore, so large he carried mountains on his back. On his back also sat two herbivores, another sailed one and one with a beautiful voice. A large horned herbivore stood next to the mountainous sauropod, shaking his crested head confidently.

With the rogues gathered outside the crevice's entrance and the other vivosaurs gathered together above it, the figure raised his arms, ordering in a loud voice, "All right, everyone! Focus your energy in the center of the clearing!"

At that command, all of the vivosaurs closed their eyes and began to glow. Their elemental fossil energy was drawn into the clearing, where it was absorbed by the creature lying there. The creature, in response, opened its eyes and spread its wings, howling to the sky as the glow brightened. Its illuminated body lit up the entire dig site as it leapt into the air, looking like a shooting star as it flew through the sky, radiating pride, confidence, and above all, joy and power. The vivosaurs all roared with glee, howling victoriously to the sky.

" _The Commander has risen!_ "


	6. The Angel's Cup: Time Attack

It was finally here. The day of the Angel's Cup. The Wardens first met in the Fossil Stadium in America, where the Captain gave a speech to honor the Dinaurian Angel the tournament was dedicated to. Afterward, they all went to Fossil Park Europe, where the Time Attack portion of the tournament was set to take place.

"Whew!" Nate cried as he drove back from the finish line, "I didn't think I'd make it back alive! That was the craziest track I've ever driven, I swear!"

The race track in the Frozen Wastes was the longest in the history of the Fossil Parks. It ran all the way from the exit of the tunnel that led into the site to the mountainous area, up the winding cliff path, and into the network of caves in the deepest part of the site, ending in the large cavern where Drake and Tria had battled and captured the Raja Devil.

"I know what you mean, Nate!" Penny agreed, her breath trembling, "I'm still shaking!"

"But you did really well, Penny!" Roland praised his comrade, "You were faster than all of us!"

"Only because I learned to keep up with Dahlia during the Warden Test." Penny agreed, shaking her head.

"Speaking of Dahlia, I would've thought she'd go first." Roland thought out loud.

"Yeah. Why is she going last?" Nate asked.

"Well, from what she's told me, she does better when she has a clear time to beat. That's why she wanted to go last."

"Elric and Mei Lian are going right before her, aren't they? I wonder why they specifically are going last." Nate wondered.

"I thought that'd be obvious." Violet said as she drove up to the group, "Because Elric, Mei Lian, and Dahlia all drive Speed Demons, which means they will likely be the fastest. That's why they're going last. Going out with a bang and all that."

"Do you know who's going to win, Violet?" Penny asked the psychic Warden.

Violet smirked. "Maybe. My lips are sealed, though." She giggled at the annoyed glances she received from the Asian Wardens. "Don't worry. You'll find out soon enough."

Sure enough, as she said that, a purple-and-white Speed Demon drove up to the starting line. The ice and snow around the vehicle seemed to melt in the face of the fiery energy being emitted by the driver.

"I know this isn't really my strong suit." Mei Lian said confidently as she gripped the steering wheel, "But you're all going DOWN!"

"Seems like Mei Lian's more fired up than usual." Liu Ren said, smiling fondly at his subordinate.

"I'm not surprised. It is the Angel's Cup, after all." Captain Stryker laughed as he drove up next to his old friend, "The excitement for this has been building for months."

"Indeed." Professor Little agreed happily, sitting up in his seat, "I am quite looking forward to the tournament."

"YEEAAAH!" Mei Lian yelled, flooring the accelerator the moment the green lights lit up. She sped around the turns, slipping occasionally and almost falling off the path, but she made it into the caverns and slid to a stop right after she crossed the finish line.

01:55:07

"Yes! I am the BEST!" Mei Lian yelled happily as she drove back.

"That…was fast…" Leon muttered, astonished that his time, which had been the fastest, was beaten so thoroughly.

"That was over 30 seconds faster than Leon's time!" Becky cried, amazed.

"Let's see you beat THAT!" Mei Lian challenged Elric when she got back down.

"We shall see." Elric replied coolly, driving his lavender-and-white Speed Demon up to the starting line to await his turn.

"Elric seems quite confident." Captain Stryker observed to Professor Little.

"Elric almost always seems confident." the child professor replied, looking at the calm expression on his teammate's face, "But he does seem more composed than usual today."

"I never took Elric for a racer." Sean wondered.

"I have never seen him race." Hanzo declared.

"Maybe not here, but…" Drake mumbled, flinching when the other Wardens looked at him, "I mean, he went to…other places. Before…coming here, I m-mean."

"What do you mean, Drake?" Violet asked curiously.

"W-Well, I mean, that is…" Drake stuttered, buckling under the weight of the stares directed at him, "When Elric was…traveling, he was with, um…" He trailed off, looking away.

"I think I get what Drake is trying to say." Liu Ren supplied for the stuttering viking, "I think what Drake is saying is that, while Elric isn't much of a racer, he is used to working with someone who was able to move faster than any of our Bone Buggies."

It was true. As the green lights appeared and he drove forward across the track, Elric's mindset was brought back to the missions where he'd ridden on Tria's back and sped across large areas at blinding speed. His reflexes trained by years of missions like that, he cruised easily around the corners, finding the quickest routes with an experienced eye, and glided over the finish line, his calm expression still in its place.

01:35:28

"U…Unbelievable…" Mei Lian stuttered, "I LOST?!"

"That was incredible!" Penny cried, shocked.

"I didn't know Elric could drive like that!" Nate added.

"Maybe he really did learn something from working with Tria all those years." Captain Stryker said, keeping his voice quiet in an attempt to avoid summoning the tears his speech at the introduction ceremony had brought to the surface. Professor Little nodded in agreement.

"Let's see if Dahlia can do any better." Becky said, watching the race with increased interest.

Dahlia drove up to the starting line, her red-and-white Speed Demon trembling with her racing passion.

"Wooo-hooo!" she cried happily, "I am ready to ROLL!" Her entire body was shaking with excitement, so much so that she looked like she was about to shatter.

The green lights hadn't been on a second when she took off over the frozen track, her driving experience allowing her to use the slippery ice to her advantage. With her increased speed and agility, she reached the network of caves before anyone knew what was happening. Driven to even higher speeds by a blur next to her window, Dahlia sped across the finish line, having to drive lap around the cavern before she could slow down enough to stop. Everyone gaped at the time that appeared on their screens.

01:20:46

"…" Everyone was speechless, unable to speak a word until Dahlia had returned to the site's entrance, cheering.

"AAAAW YEEEAAAAHHH! I just BLEW MY MIND!" she sang happily, "I went ALL OUT for this! I felt so free!"

"That was indeed amazing, Dahlia." Elric said, smiling, as calm as ever, "I am very impressed."

"You've gotten faster, Dahlia." Violet said, her expression flabbergasted.

"Haha! That was the most fun I've had in ages!" Dahlia cheered, her joy refusing to fade.

"We can tell." Leon muttered, quiet in the face of the redhead's energy.

"Come on, everyone!" the Captain called over the radio to the other Wardens, "We need to get to Asia to start the other half of the Angel's Cup!"

"Yes sir!" the Wardens all yelled in response, driving back through the portal to Fossil Park Europe. As they headed out of the Garage, Captain Stryker pulled Violet aside, along with Elric, Professor Little, and the three leaders.

"How's your search going, Violet? Have you found out anything more?" the Captain asked the psychic Warden.

"Actually…" Violet replied, lowering her voice to just above a whisper, "About a week ago, I was awakened from my sleep in the dead of night by a cry echoing in my head."

"A cry?" Sean asked curiously.

"What kind of cry?" Liu Ren asked.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, but…" Violet said, almost hesitant, "It felt like, like the cry wasn't from anything human."

"The vivosaurs?" the Professor asked, looking up at the woman. When she nodded, the group looked at each other nervously.

"Wh-What…" Drake stuttered, looking timidly at his subordinate, "Wh-What were…they saying?"

Violet gulped, looking at all of the high-ranking Wardens before lowering her head, shuddering as she whispered, "They said 'The Commander has risen!'"

The group turned their uneasy gazes from the psychic Warden to each other. They did not like the sound of that.

"You said this was a week ago, right, Violet?" Liu Ren asked, catching the group's attention, "Have you learned anything since then?"

Violet thought for a few moments, then became even more closed off than before. She opened her mouth, as if to respond, then closed it again with a look of hesitation.

"Violet?" Elric asked, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. She flinched. The others tilted their heads and, with an encouraging nod from the Captain and a pat on the back from her Park leader, Violet looked up at her comrades warily.

"Last night, when I was asleep, I saw…a silhouette." she said, keeping her voice even lower than before, "It…sent shivers down my spine."

"Was it the Commander?" Sean asked urgently. Violet nodded, an unusual certainty in the movement.

"What did it look like?" Captain Stryker asked, his tone more professional.

At the Captain's question, Violet stiffened, actually trembling slightly. At the squeeze on her shoulder from Elric, she said, "It looked…familiar…"

"F-Familiar?" Drake squeaked.

"Familiar how?" Liu Ren asked.

"We'll have to figure it out later." the Captain said, "Right now, we have a tournament to finish!"

"Aw yeah!" Sean yelled, "My team's gonna rule the day!"

"Bold words!" Liu Ren laughed, following after the American leader.

"We'll, um, see about that." Drake said, his inner warrior piercing through his timid exterior.

"Come on Elric, Violet." Captain Stryker said as he followed the bouncing Professor to the Stadium.

Elric looked at Violet. She seemed so solemn. He walked up to her and shook her gently, snapping her out of her daze.

"Elric." Violet said quietly, looking up at him.

"Don't worry, Violet." Elric said, "The Commander isn't a danger to us. You have no reason to fear it."

"That's not it, Elric." Violet whispered, staring at the silver-haired male almost pleadingly. He tilted his head in question.

"The silhouette." she whimpered, "It looked like her."


	7. The Angel's Cup: Tournament

The Fossil Stadium was packed with spectators, and the noise was deafening. The Stadium was actually vibrating with excitement and anticipation.

In the front rows, with the best view of the arena, Lucky sat with Yamamoto, Thomas Digmore, and Dino Gigante. Or rather, the young psychic was standing at the edge of the stands, looking around in excitement, while Yamamoto was leaning forward with a smile on his face and a look of anticipation in his eyes. Dr. Digmore had a pencil and notepad in his lap, ready to take notes on the battles to help improve his own skills, and Dino Gigante was laughing with the energy of the audience he was so familiar with.

In the Stadium's waiting area, the teams were gathered together, discussing strategies. There were four teams set up to battle in the first round, which would be two battles. The two teams that made it to round two would then face each other, and the victor of that battle would face the reigning champions of the Wardens Cup: the Captain's team, consisting of Captain Stryker, Professor Little, and the Captain's emissary, Elric. After that battle, whichever team emerged victorious would then enter the two-round final, first battling the team of Thalasso, Stego, and Diplo, and then, if they won, facing the team of Tria's warriors, Nibbles, Gorgo, and Lythro. It would be an interesting series of battles.

The teams were set up differently from the previous Warden's tournament. Instead of being divided by branch or rank, as they were in the Wardens Cup, the teams were chosen based on their vivosaurs' abilities.

At the front of the waiting area were the first two teams battling in round one. Leon, Dahlia, and Mei Lian were getting themselves fired up, radiating absolute confidence. The other team wasn't as blatantly confident, with the exception of its leader. Penny and Violet discussed their odds in this battle, while Sean was all grins and reassurance. At the announcer's call, the two teams drove out into the arena, facing each other.

"I've been waiting for a chance to battle you, Chief." Leon said to his superior, "This could not have worked out more perfectly."

"It's strange to see us on opposing sides, Leon." Sean replied, "But even so, I won't hold back!"

"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because we're roommates, Penny!" Mei Lian called, "Because I WON'T!"

"I'd be insulted if you did!" Penny called back, managing to sound confident despite her nervousness.

"I predict that this will be a good day for us!" Violet proclaimed, smiling proudly.

"You always say that, Violet!" Dahlia yelled in response, "And I've worked with you enough to know how unreliable those predictions are!"

Each side sent out their vivosaurs. V-raptor shrieked at his opponents, his fiery spirit matching his fighter's. Pachy pawed at the ground excitedly and swung his rock-hard head about intimidatingly. Ptera soared overhead, his wings gleaming with power and grace as he looked down at his opponents. Hypsi chirped at the opposing team, her tone challenging. Paraloph whistled loudly, calling out her confident opponents. Nychus screeched at the familiar feeling of the arena, feeling the fire of the audience's cries fuel his own Fire-type elemental energy.

And with that, the battle began.

The impatient team of speedy vivosaurs all rushed forward, eager to attack.

"V-raptor! Lunging Claw!" Mei Lian ordered, her voice carrying bloodlust.

"Ptera! Middle Spear!" Leon commanded, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Pachy! Skull Charge!" Dahlia called, leading her vivosaur into a headlong charge.

"Everyone! Jump!" Sean commanded his vivosaur and the vivosaurs of his teammates, his authority as Park leader carrying to them. All three vivosaurs jumped, Nychus straight up and Hypsi and Paraloph to the side, evading their opponents' attack. Before they even landed, Penny and Violet issued their next commands.

"Hypsi! Chaotic Chord!"

"Paraloph! Piercing Scream!"

The two herbivores screeched at their opponents, their loud, painful cries distracting the charging vivosaurs while the wild song sent them into a state of confusion. As the opposing vivosaurs swayed, vulnerable, Nychus shrieked and dashed forward, slashing at Pachy and V-raptor with his foreclaws before striking Ptera with Somersault Kick, throwing him into the air.

"V-raptor! Get a hold of yourself!" Mei Lian yelled at her confused raptor.

"Shake it off, Pachy!" Dahlia commanded her shaken partner desperately.

"Sorry, friends, but I'm afraid this ends now!" Sean said confidently, "But don't worry! This has been a good fight!" He looked at the faces of his teammates. "Let's finish this!"

"Right!" Penny and Violet cheered at their vivosaurs charged in for the finishing blow.

"No! I refuse to be defeated!" Mei Lian yelled, gnashing her teeth.

"This can't be the end!" Dahlia cried angrily.

"It's not!" Leon, who had been quiet since his first command, chuckled, "Ptera! Wing Blaster!"

The large flying vivosaur, who had managed to avoid both status conditions screeched loudly and flapped his wings, summoning winds that had grown strong enough to stop even a massive carnivore like Lythro in his tracks. The three smaller vivosaurs were lifted off of the field and sent flying. Ptera's teammates, shaking off their afflictions, wasted no time in taking advantage of the opening he had bought them.

"V-raptor! Raptor Shot!" Mei Lian ordered.

"Pachy! Jumping Upper!" Dahlia followed.

The two vivosaurs bellowed, furious, and executed their attacks simultaneously. The blast of Air-type energy struck Hypsi in the center of her chest, knocking the wind out of her. Pachy charged at Paraloph, jumping upward and striking the flat-billed herbivore under her chin, sending her into a weak stance.

"Nychus! Help them out!" Sean ordered. The Fire-type raptor screeched and lunged forward.

"Not gonna happen!" Leon yelled, "Ptera! Execute Combo #3!"

"Combo #3?" Mei Lian wondered out loud.

"What's that?" Dahlia asked the lone wolf.

No one else knew what Leon meant, except Ptera. Fortunately, he was the only one who needed to know. Ptera screamed loudly, flapping his wings as hard as he could. The winds from his Wing Blaster swirled around the battlefield, halting Nychus once again. He then threw open his wings to their full extent, creating a shorter blast of wind that disrupted his previous attack. That disruption caused a shockwave that flew to either side of the pterosaur, slamming into the two opposing vivosaurs on either side of the team's leader: Hypsi and Paraloph. With the two vivosaurs defeated, Ptera then circled through the air, activating his Boost Skill, Acrobatic Spear, and slammed into Nychus, who was still suspended in the air, sending him falling toward the ground.

"Now, girls! Finish this!" Leon commanded his comrades.

"V-raptor! Lunging Claw!" Mei Lian ordered, not even commenting on Leon bossing her around in the heat of battle.

"Pachy! Middle Hook!" Dahlia ordered in unison with Mei Lian, her excitement filling her mind.

The two vivosaurs roared, charging toward the falling raptor, who was helpless against their combined onslaught. He faded in a burst of light the moment his opponents' claws made contact, returning to his fighter and joining his teammates in defeat. The winning team howled triumphantly.

"YES! Mei Lian reigns supreme!" Mei Lian cheered, throwing her hands in the air as V-raptor shrieked.

"Ha! Listen to that engine purr!" Dahlia laughed, revving her engine as Pachy snorted.

"What did you expect?" Leon smirked. Ptera landed on his fighter's Turf Shredder and spread his wings proudly.

"We lost…" Penny sighed, closing her eyes sadly.

"Unbelievable! My fortunes were wrong AGAIN!" Violet cried disbelievingly, "I even used the Crystal Ball + 1 this time!"

"Don't feel bad, you two." Sean said, smiling at his teammates, "It was a good fight. I had fun."

Penny sighed, then smiled. "Yeah, it was pretty fun! The most fun I've had since the Wardens Cup, actually!"

"Yeah, it was fun…" Violet muttered as the teams drove out of the arena, a distracted look on her face. As she drove past the defending champions, Elric's face appeared on her screen.

"What's wrong, Violet?" he asked, "Are you really that upset about losing?"

"Huh?" Violet jolted, snapped out of her stupor by the question, "No, it's not that." She looked down, her eyebrows coming together as she frowned. "I'm just confused. The Crystal Ball + 1 has never been wrong before."

"Did it tell you your team would win?" Elric asked.

Violet looked at him, eyes contemplating. "Well, no. Not exactly. It just said that today would be a good day."

Elric smiled. "Then maybe that's not what it meant." he suggested. At Violet's confused look, he added somewhat-knowingly, "Maybe the ting that'll make this day a good day has nothing to do with who wins this tournament. Maybe it's something else entirely."

"Hm. Maybe you're right." Violet didn't sound convinced, but she let it go. The second battle was about to begin.

"GRRRAAAHH!" Drake roared as he faced his adversaries, "I SHALL GRIND YOUR BONES INTO DUST AND PAINT THIS ARENA RED WITH YOUR BLOOD! I SHALL TEAR YOU ALL TO PIECES!"

"You're as lively as ever, Drake." Liu Ren laughed, unconcerned about the flurry of threats that had just left the viking's mouth, "But I'm afraid we won't go down so easily."

"A ninja never backs down from a fight!" Hanzo declared confidently, "Now prepare to feel the bitter sting of defeat!"

"The only one who's going to feel the sting of defeat is you!" Becky challenged back.

"Let's go, Roland!" Nate yelled at his comrade on the other side of the field, "We'll see which of us comes out on top!"

"I'll give you a hint, Nate! It's not gonna be you!" Roland called back, the tournament's atmosphere giving him unusual confidence.

The two sides sent out their vivosaurs. Tarbo and Ankylo BO roared at each other, familiar with one another through sparring sessions between the Park leaders. Mihu shook his head, his katana flashing in the sunlight, and Big Allo gnashed his teeth threateningly. Tricera snorted aggressively and Edapho growled in response, not used to being on the opposite sides of the field. With challenging bellows from both teams, the battle began.

Ankylo BO charged at Tarbo, knowing through experience that he had a type advantage against the large carnivore. However, he was intercepted by Tricera, who also knew that he had an advantage. He was then struck by Edapho's sail, the small herbivore knowing the larger's weaknesses from the many battles they'd fought together. Mihu charged at the other ceratopsian as well, but Big Allo interfered, jaws closing around the small herbivore's sword-like horn and holding him in place.

"ANKYLO BO! BOMB DROPPER! BURN THEM ALL!" Drake roared, gleefully psychotic, his eyes wild and his teeth bared. The battle-scarred herbivore bellowed joyfully, shooting fireballs from his backplates and raining them down on his opponents.

"Tarbo! Thunderous Roar!" Liu Ren commanded calmly. Tricera and Big Allo gathered close to the large carnivore as he roared, the powerful sound waves blowing away the fireballs Ankylo BO had unleashed.

"LOW TACKLE! PULVARIZE THEM!" Drake commanded, showing no sign of noticing that his previous attack had been blocked.

"Ground Strike, Edapho!" Nate ordered, Drake's berserker fighting style fueling his confidence.

"Mihu! Dome Dash!" Hanzo yelled, refusing to be left out.

"Everyone! Stand strong!" Liu Ren called to his teammates.

"Never give up! Never!" Becky cried.

Roland gulped, getting nervous, as he always did during battle. Then, as he glanced upward in a small slip in focus, he noticed something the other fighters on both teams had not. Suddenly, an idea forming in his head, he gave his vivosaur a calm command.

"Tricera! Horn Slam on Edapho! Send 'em flying!"

The Water-type herbivore, seeing what his fighter had seen, snorted in the vivosaur equivalent of a laugh. He charged forward, catching the small sailed herbivore's attack with his horns and throwing him upward. The Air-type screamed in anger at his adversary before suddenly being cut off as he was struck by the fireballs from Ankylo BO's Bomb Dropper that were falling back to the ground after Tarbo had deflected them. As the small vivosaur disappeared in a flash of light, the audience gasped.

"Hey! No fair!" Nate cried, frustrated.

"Learn to use your environment!" Roland replied, laughing. Back in the waiting area, Mei Lian sniffled quietly.

"Great work, Roland!" Liu Ren praised the young Warden.

"Let's keep it going!" Becky yelled, "Big Allo! Beastly Bite on Mihu!"

"Mihu! Cross Slash!" Hanzo ordered. The ceratopsian obeyed, slashing his bladed nosehorn at the carnivore and causing him to stagger backward.

"Don't let up, Big Allo!" Becky commanded, "Tail Strike!"

The Neutral-type growled in irritation, spinning around and striking the small herbivore's flank with his long, broad tail. With the vivosaur in a weakened stance, Liu Ren took his chance.

"Tarbo! Shoulder Tackle!" he ordered calmly. The large carnivore charged forward, slamming into the other Asian vivosaur and throwing him back to his fighter. Mihu disappeared in a flash of light before he hit Hanzo's Turf Shredder, leaving Ankylo BO as the only vivosaur left on the field.

"GRRAAAH!" Drake roared, "NOW IS OUR TIME! WE SHALL BATHE THIS STADIUM IN A SEA OF FIRE!" Ankylo BO roared as well, his fiery power flaring violently as his Solo Power was activated.

"Get ready, everyone!" Liu Ren commanded his team as their vivosaurs gathered together, "We'll take him head-on!"

"ANKYLO BO! CHARGE!" Drake bellowed gleefully, ordering his vivosaur into an all-out rampage.

"Tarbo! Thunderous Roar!" Liu Ren commanded, using the rush of energy to slow the herbivore's charge.

"Big Allo! Tackle!" Becky ordered. Her vivosaur collided with Ankylo BO, almost halting him before being pushed back.

"Let's finish this, Tricera!" Roland yelled confidently, "Screw Driver!" Tricera bellowed loudly, throwing himself into a spin. He slammed into Ankylo BO, the two vivosaurs pushing for dominance. Eventually, however, the elemental advantage, combined with the damage taken from the previous attacks, overcame Ankylo BO, and he fell, the bright flash of light signaling the other team's victory.

"NOOOO!" Drake cried, angered at his loss. He then spontaneously calmed down, returning to his timid state. "Good job. I…enjoyed that."

"Agreed!" Hanzo stated, "A most invigorating battle!"

"Even though I was beaten by my own teammate's attack." Nate muttered bitterly. He then smiled. "You've gotten good, Roland. Good luck in the next round."

"Thanks, Nate!" Roland replied, glad his friend wasn't too upset.

"You guys were great!" Becky complimented her opponents, her grin wide and bright.

"Both teams did very well." Liu Ren said as they drove to the waiting area, "We should all be very proud."

Back in the waiting area, while the defeated teams headed to their reserved seats in the stands, the teams still in the tournament gathered.

"Woo-hoo!" Mei Lian yelled, as hyper as ever, "We kick butt!"

"Yeah!" Dahlia agreed, matching Mei Lian's energy perfectly, "We're going all the way, baby!"

"Heh." Leon chuckled at his teammates' optimism, "Rookies."

"Don't be so sure of yourselves." Liu Ren chided the two girls lightly, "Remember, we are your next opponents, and we won't go down easily."

"Liu Ren's right." Becky said, crossing her arms, "We won our first round battle too, ya know."

"We can hold our own, too." Roland declared, his confidence still running high.

"And let's not forget." another voice said, "That whoever wins this next round has to face us."

The two arguing teams looked to see the defending champion team: Captain Stryker, Professor Little, and Elric. They were the champions of the Wardens Cup, although Tria had fought with the Captain and Professor in that Cup instead of Elric. Still, as Elric was such a close friend of Tria's, he was asked to join the champion team in the tournament honoring his long-time friend.

"Ha!" Mei Lian laughed, "You guys may be strong, but we're strong, too! You're not invincible!"

"Neither are you, Mei Lian." Elric retorted calmly, smirking at the girl's confidence, "Nothing in this tournament is certain. Anyone could come out on top."

"Well said, Elric." Liu Ren agreed, smiling.

"Whatever happens in this tournament, I'm looking forward to it." the Captain said, laughing at the friendly bickering of the Wardens.

"As am I! This will certainly be a tournament for the ages!" the Professor added, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Let's hope so." Elric muttered as the announcer called the two teams competing in round two back into the arena, "She deserves nothing less."

"What was that, Elric?" Professor Little asked, looking at the other male curiously.

"Nothing, Professor." Elric replied, ruffling the boy's hair as Tria often did, "Just remembering why we're here, in this tournament."

Professor Little gripped Elric's hand while Captain Stryker placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's make this a tournament no one will ever forget." the Captain said, gently, guiding his two subordinate's into the waiting area once more, "A tournament worthy of her memory."

Meanwhile, in the arena, the two victorious teams from round one faced off.

"You're going down, Liu Ren!" Mei Lian yelled to her Park leader in challenge, "Now's the time I finally defeat you!"

"We'll see, Mei Lian." Liu Ren replied calmly, used to dealing with her confrontational attitude.

"Time to take me on, Becky." Leon said confidently, "I defeated your brother, and now I'll defeat you!"

"We'll see about that, Leon!" Becky snapped back, "I'll avenge my brother's defeat at your hands!"

"Haha!" Dahlia laughed excitedly, "I don't think I've ever faced you in battle before, Roland. This should be fun!"

"I hope so, Dahlia." Roland responded, starting to get nervous again in spite of himself, "And may the best Fighter win!"

The two teams sent out their vivosaurs. V-raptor shrieked, ready for another battle. Ptera soared high overhead, temporarily blocking the sun as he displayed his power to the audience watching him. Pachy pawed at the ground, overflowing with energy. Tarbo snorted, staring down at the smaller vivosaurs as he bared his teeth. Big Allo gnashed his own teeth and thrashed his tail, excitement rising at the sight of the familiar pterosaur. Tricera stomped the ground, shaking it as he brandished his horns.

Just as before, the faster team attacked first, their vivosaurs diving toward the opposing team without an ounce of hesitation.

"V-raptor! Lunging Claw!"

"Ptera! Middle Spear!"

"Pachy! Middle Hook!"

"Tarbo! Thunderous Roar!"

As the three smaller vivosaurs attacked, the massive Air-type carnivore on the other side stepped forward, as calm and wise as his fighter, and roared, the strong wave of elemental energy halting the charging vivosaurs in their tracks. Well, all except one.

"Ptera! Ride it!" Leon commanded his flying vivosaur. Ptera shrieked in response, tilting his wings upward and letting the attack carry him higher into the sky.

"Now dive!" Leon ordered, grinning, "Middle Spear on Big Allo!"

Ptera shrieked again, a pterosaurian grin on his face as he dove at the Neutral-type carnivore, sending himself into a spin as his beak struck the carnivore's chest.

"Stand strong, Big Allo!" Becky yelled, "Beastly Bite!"

Big Allo growled, pain giving way to malice as he bit down on the pterosaur's wing, causing the flying vivosaur to screech in pain and flail.

"Ptera! Flying Peck!" Leon ordered anxiously. Ptera glared at his captor, twisting around and jabbing his beak into the carnivore side, forcing him to release Ptera's wing. The flying vivosaur flapped his wings as he shakily returned to his team, landing on the ground.

"Damn! Ptera's down!" Leon cursed, glancing between his teammates, "You guys better have my back!"

"You know it, Leon!" Dahlia yelled happily, "Pachy! Let's race!"

As the other fighters looked at the redhead in confusion, Pachy howled, excitement in his features as he charged, running around the opposing team with incredible speed.

"Woah!" Roland cried, shocked, as the speeding Earth-type darted past his Heavy Hauler.

"I've never seen a Pachy move that quickly!" Becky exclaimed, trying to follow the quick vivosaur with her eyes and getting dizzy.

"Most can't." Liu Ren said, chuckling, "But I'm not surprised that Dahlia's can."

"Great work, Dahlia!" Mei Lian called to her teammate, "We'll handle this!" She then turned to her V-raptor, who was tapping his toe-claw on the ground impatiently. "V-raptor! Let's avenge Ptera! Beak Snap!"

V-raptor screeched angrily and sped forward, taking advantage of Pachy's racing to sneak up on Big Allo, biting down on his back and bringing him down with surprising strength. The Neutral-type carnivore disappeared in a flash of light as V-raptor jumped back and Pachy finally skidded to a stop.

"Big Allo's out!" Becky cried.

"Don't worry, Becky. We'll handle this!" Roland assured her, "Tricera! Heavy Charge!"

Tricera snorted aggressively, charging at his opponents. He was aiming for Ptera. Dahlia wasn't having it.

"Oh no you don't!" she yelled, "Pachy! Skull Charge!"

Pachy screamed, charging as well and intercepting Tricera's attack with his own. The two hard-headed vivosaurs pushed for dominance, each unwilling to give in to the other. Pachy had a type advantage, but Tricera had a size advantage. Eventually, after many moments of struggle, both vivosaurs collapsed, disappearing in a flash of light as they succumbed to the other's power.

"Crud! Pachy's down!" Dahlia gasped, "My bad, guys!"

"No worries, Dahlia! I got this!" Mei Lian replied, grinning. She then focused her sights on her remaining opponent: Liu Ren's Tarbo.

"V-raptor! Somersault Kick!" she commanded. V-raptor screeched, dashing toward his opponent and kicking him with his foot-claws, throwing the larger carnivore into a weaker stance. Liu Ren was not discouraged.

"Tarbo! Deadly Fangs!" he ordered calmly. Tarbo growled in annoyance at the smaller carnivore, all-too-familiar with his hyper screeches and quick, ruthless attacks. He grabbed onto the little raptor, holding V-raptor more tightly as the feathered vivosaur flailed in his jaws.

"V-raptor! Get out of there! Lunging Claw!" Mei Lian commanded urgently. V-raptor shrieked, scratching at Tarbo's face. Tarbo, however, was used to the raptor's attacks and wasn't fazed. His jaws continued to crush the raptor, with the raptor in turn continuing to struggle.

"Chaos Twister!"

As the sudden command was spoken, the voice equally amused and vengeful, wild winds swirled around the two carnivores. Tarbo was forced into an upward stance, letting go of V-raptor in the process. V-raptor was carried into the sky by the powerful cyclone, shrieking as he tried to regain some sort of stability. His cries were then rendered pointless as a pair of powerful claws grabbed him, carrying him back to the ground.

"Now, Mei Lian!" Leon yelled to his teammate, "Ptera can't do much more! You need to finish this!"

"Right!' Mei Lian replied, turning her focus back to the battle, "Let's wrap this up, V-raptor! Raptor Shot!"

V-raptor screeched, storing the Air-type energy in his jaws before firing it at Tarbo. Tarbo, still in his weak stance, was hit squarely in the chest. Unable to withstand the onslaught, he collapsed, following his teammates in a bright flash of light.

"Woo-hoo!" Mei Lian yelled happily.

"We're the best!" Dahlia declared joyfully.

"Heh. Rookies." Leon chuckled at the antics of his teammates.

"We lost…" Roland muttered.

"After we'd come so far…" Becky sighed, disappointed.

"Now, you two. Don't look so down." Liu Ren said, still smiling, "We put up a good fight. They just put up a better one. It was an entertaining battle, and we all fought well. There's no reason to be ashamed."

"…Yeah. You're right." Roland said, smiling as he resigned himself to his defeat, "We did fight pretty well."

"And it was a lot of fun!" Becky said happily, grinning her signature grin.

The defeated team then exited the arena, with the victors following close behind, giving their vivosaurs time to rest while the announcer started the speech that would lead up to the battle with the champions. As Liu Ren's team headed for the stands, Leon's met with their next opponents.

"Well, this is it." Captain Stryker addressed his subordinates, "Let's see if you three can dethrone us as the new champions."

"You know we will!" Mei Lian declared confidently, "We didn't come all this way just to lose!"

"I can't wait!" Dahlia cheered, "This'll be a battle I'll never forget!"

"I think this will be a tournament none of us will ever forget." Professor Little said in response to Dahlia's comment, "Let's all do our best!"

"I look forward to facing you three." Leon said, focusing on Elric, "We'll see who comes out as the top dog here."

"Indeed we shall, Leon." Elric replied, smirking, "I wonder who the true victor of this tournament will be. Your team, mine, or someone else entirely."

"That's right." Leon muttered, crossing his arms, "Whoever wins this battle then has to face the teams Tria trained. They won't be easy to beat either."

"Indeed." Elric said, more to himself than to Leon, "And yet, why do I get the feeling that the true victor of this tournament won't be any of the teams involved, but an outside entity that has yet to appear?"

"An outside entity?" Leon asked suspiciously, "What do you mean by that?"

Elric smirked as the announcer called the two teams to the arena. "We'll have to see. It may be nothing." he whispered to Leon, meeting the taller male's gaze, "Or it may be everything."

Leon narrowed his eyes at the enigmatic male before following his team into the arena, facing off against the defending champions.

"Let's go, Spino ST!" Captain Stryker yelled as he sent out his most trusted partner, "It's finally out time to shine!" Spino ST roared eagerly, the previous battles making him more excited to fight.

"We need to be careful, V-raptor!" Mei Lian said to her vivosaur, "This is the Captain's team. Still, we can do it!" V-raptor shrieked in agreement, his eyes alert.

"We must not take this team lightly." Professor Little informed his Argento, "They have made it to us for a reason. Let us give them the courtesy of our full power!" Argento bellowed, swaying his long neck intimidatingly.

"Let's get this party started!" Dahlia cheered, "Whether we win or lose, we'll have some fun!" Pachy jumped around happily.

"Well, Toba, this is it." Elric said to his life-long companion who towered over him, "It's time for us to stand with the champions she brought to the top. Let us honor Tria and fight with everything we've got!" Toba stomped her massive feet, shaking the ground beneath her as she howled.

"We won't get left behind in this fight, Ptera!" Leon stated, clenching his fists, "We'll be bringing our best to this fight!" Ptera screeched, flapping his wings and kicking up a powerful gust of wind.

Just like with their other battles, Leon's team attacked first, rushing in without a moment's hesitation. As the three dove at the champion vivosaurs, Argento stepped forward.

"Argento! Tail Siege!" the Professor commanded. The massive sauropod spun around, knocking the three smaller vivosaurs back. Immediately, Spino ST ran forward, flashing his sharp teeth threateningly.

"Spino ST! Daze Cannon!" the Captain commanded, his natural authority reflected in his vivosaur. Spino ST opened his jaws, firing a blast of light at the opposing vivosaurs. The blinding light filled the battlefield, forcing the fighters, vivosaurs, and audience alike to cover their eyes. Elric, putting on the sunglasses he still carried with him, gave the battle's next orders.

"Toba! Body Check!" he ordered. Toba, also used to dealing with the bright lights, charged forward, slamming her massive body into her opponents. By the time the light had faded, the audience and fighters saw Ptera gliding high above the Stadium, out of reach of even the sauropods. Pachy and V-raptor were gone.

"What the hell?!" Mei Lian exclaimed in frustrated disbelief, "I lost?!"

"You did well with that evasion, Leon." the Captain complimented the American Warden, "But now you stand alone."

"Not quite!" another voice sang. The group saw, on their screens, Dahlia smiling as her eyes gleamed behind her own sunglasses, "Pachy! Skull Charge!"

Pachy, who had raced behind Toba during the Daze Cannon's effects, darted forward, toward the vulnerable sauropod.

Elric smirked. "Toba! Jump!"

The Water-type sauropod smiled innocently and, with unexpected strength, leapt into the air, jumping back and away from the charging Earth-type as the audience gasped. "All yours, Professor!"

"On it!" Professor Little called, "Argento! Neck Breaker!"

Argento, who was waiting just behind to Toba, swung his head around, swatting the smaller Earth-type back to his fighter, with Pachy disappearing in a flash of light just as V-raptor had.

"Bastard…" Leon growled, frustrated, "Ptera! Wing Blaster!"

The large pterosaur, still flying high above the battlefield, flapped his wings and summoned a powerful cyclone that hindered even the large vivosaurs below. Elric just smiled.

"Clever tactic, Leon." he chuckled, "But not enough, I'm afraid." He then commanded loudly, "Toba! Divine Thunder!"

Toba howled again, turning her horned head toward the rapidly-gathering clouds. As she called out to the storm, the crystal on her head glowing with divine power, she summoned several bolts of lightning onto Ptera, causing him to fall and return to his Dino Gear instantly.

"U…Unbelievable…" Leon muttered.

"They're strong…" Mei Lian whispered in awe.

"I know, right!" Dahlia cried happily, earning confused glances from her teammates, "That was so much fun! I don't even care that we lost!"

Dahlia's teammates gawked at her for a moment longer before following her example.

"Haha! Yeah, it was fun! I've never seen that kind of fighting before! But rest assured, I'll ready for it next time!" Mei Lian declared, laughing.

"…Heh." Leon chuckled, shaking his head, "You guys are good. Really good. Exactly what I'd expect from the champions."

"You all did very well." the Captain told the other Wardens, "That's why we brought our best to this fight."

"Truth be told, we knew this tournament would be tough, so we did some training to work on our own teamwork." the Professor admitted, smiling sheepishly, "It seems to have worked rather well, don't you think?"

"You all should be proud." Elric added, "You got this far in the tournament, and you forced the champions to use last-minute training to defeat you. That's nothing to be ashamed of."

The defeated team left the battlefield, heading to the stands, while the champions waited for their next opponents.

"Be on guard, you two." the Captain said seriously to his teammates, "Our next opponents are vivosaurs trained by Tria personally. We must not underestimate them."

"I wouldn't worry about that." the Professor assured the Captain, "I'd never even think of underestimating such experienced vivosaurs, especially vivosaurs that are fighting without having to wait for orders from their own fighters. Their teamwork is going to be much more fluid."

"I have seen Tria's skill, whether she was fighting on her own or guiding a team, many times before. I have faced her too many times to underestimate any team she's trained."

Captain Stryker nodded, pleased with his teammates' responses, and smiled. "I hope we're ready, because here come our first opponents."

The fighters returned their focus to the battle as their vivosaurs faced off against the first team in the finale. Thalasso glided in confidently, leading his team. He'd expected to face the Captain's team, although they'd trained for all of the possibilities, just as Tria had taught them. Stego lumbered in underneath the small pterosaur, her calm temperament carrying even onto the battlefield, while Diplo stood beside her, swinging his tail excitedly and slightly nervously. The two sides roared at each other as the battle began.

Thalasso shrieked, flying higher into the air, with Stego and Diplo flanking to either side at his order. They charged at their designated opponents, watching warily.

"Argento! Tail Siege!" Professor Little ordered, seeing this as a repeat of the previous fight.

" _Not if I have anything to say about it!_ " Thalasso screeched, flapping his wings as he activated Wing Blaster, pausing Argento just long enough for Stego and Diplo's attack to land. The two large herbivores slammed into the opposing sauropods, pushing them back. Thalasso then dove at Spino ST, electrified claws bared.

"Wait for it, Spino ST…" the Captain ordered. Spino ST hunkered down, bracing himself for Thalasso attack. Right when the pterosaur got close, the Captain commanded, "Now! Flash Fang!"

Spino ST opened his jaws, his sharp teeth flashing in a blinding display. As Thalasso used his wings to block the attack, Argento swatted him with his Neck Breaker. The pterosaur, defense his weakest stat, fell, leaving his team to finish the battle without him.

Diplo and Stego bellowed, enraged and vengeful, and turned on Argento, holding him responsible for their leader's defeat. Stego planted herself in front of the massive Earth-type, glaring at him as she charged an attack. Spino ST and Toba attempted to assist their teammate, but Diplo kept them both at bay with his Rolling Whip. Argento reared up on his hind legs, attempting to crush the smaller vivosaur, but Stego just smiled, firing a blast of Air-type energy through the Earth-type's chest. Argento fell from the force of the Homing Blast, returning to his fighter.

"Spino ST! Terror Zone!" the Captain commanded, irritated. Spino ST growled hauntingly, giving off a frightening aura that sent a chill down Diplo's long spine. Stego turned toward her teammate, ready to help, but she didn't make it that far.

"Toba! Sacred Tail!" Elric commanded. Toba stomped over to the smaller herbivore, spinning around and swatting her away with her tail. The Water-type's red-rimmed silver eyes narrowed as she suddenly lunged forward, slamming her body into Stego, that final blow bringing the Air-type herbivore down.

Diplo cried out, distressed, as he was left standing alone against the Captain's carnivore. Still, despite his young age, he'd been trained by the Dinaurian Angel, and he would never give up. He howled, voice wild with reckless abandon, and spun around, slamming his neck and tail into Spino ST and Toba. The sailed carnivore roared angrily and charged forward, jaws agape.

"Spino ST!" the Captain called, "Let's finish this! Flash Fang once more!"

Spino ST roared again, clamping his jaws onto the back of the sauropod's neck and tossing him into the air as the audience gasped. Spino ST then jumped, kicking his last remaining opponent across the field. As Diplo returned to his Dino Gear, the audience cheered.

"And there you have it, folks!" the announcer called as Elric retrieved the three Dino Gears, "The defending champions manage to defeat the Angel's Cavalry! But now we'll see if they can stand up against their next opponents! Stick around to see who will rise victorious from this tournament, the Warden Champions, or the Angel's Warriors!"

The champions left the arena, giving their vivosaurs a chance to rest. In the lobby, they were met with Nibbles, who held Gorgo and Lythro's Dino Gears in his claws.

"It's finally here, Nibbles." the Captain said to the alpha of Tria's team, "Are you ready?"

Nibbles nodded, clutching the two Dino Gears. " _We are. We will use every ounce of our power in this fight. We expect the same from you._ "

"Likewise, my friend." Captain Stryker said, leading his team back into the arena when the break ended. Professor Little followed the Captain with a smile. Elric made to follow them, but stopped when he noticed the look on Nibbles' face. He knelt in front of the little vivosaur.

"What's wrong, my friend?" he asked, looking into the large green eyes. Nibbles looked up at the silver-haired male, eyes tearful.

" _I can smell her._ " he growled quietly, his tone sorrowful, " _Tria's scent. I've been catching it everywhere, even places she's never been to! I don't understand it! What's going on?!_ "

"Calm down, Nibbles." Elric said firmly, grabbing onto the frantic vivosaur, "Are you certain it's her scent, and not just something that smells similar?"

Nibbles nodded fervently. " _I'd recognize her scent anywhere! It's here now! I can smell her nearby! But that's impossible! She isn't here anymore…is she?_ "

"Interesting…" Elric muttered, seeming to not even hear the little vivosaur's question. He gripped the vivosaur's shoulders, shaking him slightly. "I won't attempt to tell you why you can smell Tria here, but I suggest you battle as if she is here. Fight to your top potential, and show her how much you've grown."

Nibbles looked at Elric, sniffling and nodding resolutely. He then entered the arena with Elric, with Elric returning to his team and Nibbles standing on the opposite side of the field. He threw the Dino Gears of his teammates in the air, releasing them before transforming into the Crimson Ravager. The champions released their recovered vivosaurs, commencing the final battle of the Angel's Cup.

Lythro brandished his bladed horns, charging at the champion team as a whole in search of weaknesses. Gorgo flanked the team, ready to exploit any gaps Lythro found. Nibbles simply remained at the back, watching for an opening.

"Spino ST! Daze Cannon!" Captain Stryker commanded. Spino ST obeyed, sending a blast of white light from his gaping jaws. It covered the entire opposing team, blinding them. Or, at least, it should have.

Suddenly, a wave of Fire-type energy struck the Captain's team, blowing them back several steps. With the power of Gorgo's Primal Roar came the carnivore's words.

" _Did you honestly think that tactic would work on us?! Don't forget who we are!_ "

"Toba! Divine Thunder!" Elric ordered, "Focus on the source of the roar!"

Toba bellowed, launching the lightning of her strongest attack into the sea of blinding light from Spino ST's Daze Cannon. As it struck multiple areas, a rumbling laugh was heard.

" _A decent effort, I guess. But not good enough!_ " the arrogant voice of Lythro growled as he charged out of the light, slashing his horns across the large sauropod's chest before biting down on her shoulder.

"Toba!" Elric cried, recognizing the trouble his partner was in. He then caught the look in her eyes and nodded, accepting her decision. He then issued his final command for the battle.

"Toba! Bring him down with you!" he yelled. Toba roared, rearing up on her hind legs and lifting Lythro with her. Then, before he could let go, she brought her front feet downward, collapsing on top of him and causing both vivosaurs to disappear in a flash of light. Both Dino Gears returned to Elric, who smiled at them kindly.

Meanwhile, with the light faded, Gorgo was attempting to bring down Argento. However, the sauropod's mountainous armor would not yield to the carnivore's teeth and claws. He jumped back, unleashing another Primal Roar that blew his opponent into a weak stance. He charged again, sinking his Deadly Fangs into the long neck of his opponent.

"Argento! Summit Drain!" Professor Little yelled to his vivosaur. Argento bellowed, absorbing Gorgo's strength into the mountain peaks on his back.

" _I don't think so!_ " Gorgo bellowed, releasing his Primal Roar one more time. The attack was absorbed into Argento's mountains, causing damage to the sauropod. As he began to fall, Argento narrowed his eyes as he glared at the Fire-type carnivore before exchanging a glance with his fighter, who nodded.

"Argento!" the Professor ordered, "Tail Siege!"

Argento howled, spinning around as he fell and slamming his long, powerful tail into the carnivore's side, sending him flying to Elric as a Dino Gear before succumbing to his injuries himself. With two vivosaurs on each side defeated, the battle reached its peak intensity.

While all of this was going on, Nibbles and Spino ST exchanged blows. Daze Cannon was dodged and countered with Crimson Flames, Flash Fang met Crimson Combo. The two carnivores jumped back, glaring at each other.

"Spino ST! Death Drill ST!" Captain Stryker commanded.

Spino ST growled, lunging forward and spinning as he flew toward Nibbles. Nibbles snarled at the experienced battler, lunging forward as well as he activated his Crimson Assault. The two powerful vivosaurs collided, the strength of their attacks even, before pushing each other back, both breathing hard. The vivosaurs both growled, ready to attack again.

Suddenly, both Nibbles and Spino ST perked up, their focus shifting away from each other and to something else, something outside of the arena. The two vivosaurs approached one another and stood side-by-side, moving from opponent to ally as they faced the arena's entrance, ignoring the confused inquiries from the fighters on the field with them and the murmurs from the audience as they tensed, becoming increasingly aggressive as they prepared for another battle.

All of the human voices then quieted as a loud crash was heard, followed by a hateful roar that filled the Stadium with a familiar feeling of terror.


	8. The Commander

Nibbles and Spino ST faced the Stadium entrance, growling low and dangerous, as a massive carnivore broke into the arena, roaring loudly as it rampaged. It's darkened appearance, dark green body with dark red-orange markings covering it, was as recognizable as the glowing red eyes that were filled with absolute hatred and rage.

"What the heck is that?!" Dahlia cried from the stands.

"That's a Giganto!" Yamamoto answered, his brown eyes wide and terrified, "It's a massive Fire-type carnivore with an aggressive nature! I've never seen one this size, though…"

"I'm not surprised." Leon whispered, shuddering as he held the little psychic boy who was clinging to him closer, "That's not just any Giganto."

"What do you mean, Leon?" Penny asked.

"Spit it out already!" Mei Lian yelled, edging closer to her roommate.

"Penny…Nate…Roland…Dahlia…" Leon muttered, looking at all of them as he addressed his fellow graduates, "Doesn't that Giganto look familiar to you?" He looked at them all as their expressions gradually shifted from confusion to realization to horror. "We may not have directly faced it, but we have seen it."

"Wait a minute…" Nate whispered, hiding behind Roland.

"You don't mean…"Penny whimpered, now clinging to her roommate in return.

"It couldn't be…" Roland mumbled quietly, backing into Nate.

"What the hell is that thing even doing here?!" Dahlia cried fearfully.

"Captain…" Professor Little said in a hushed tone, trembling as he looked to his superior, clearly wanting to cling to the man in search of comfort.

"Is that what I think it is?" Elric asked, sounding disturbed at the carnivore's appearance in the arena.

"Yeah." Captain Stryker nodded, holding out his arm to allow the child prodigy to move closer to him, "There's no mistake. That's Dr. Baron von Blackraven's dark Giganto." He then shook his head in distressed confusion. "But I don't understand. How did it get here?"

"The last time any of us saw it was on the Neo Black Whale after Tria had defeated it." the Professor stated, his voice shaking, "The Neo Black Whale is still in the ocean. There's no way it could've gotten here on its own."

"I suggest we try to figure out how it got here after we subdue it." Elric interjected as the massive dark carnivore charged at Spino ST, who was the most familiar enemy to it.

"Right!" Captain Stryker said, speaking into his Digger's Rig's microphone and commanding, "All Wardens! Go to the edge of the stands and release your vivosaurs! Everyone else, head as far up the stands as you can! Stay as far away from the arena as possible!"

All of the Wardens gathered at the edge of the arena, throwing their Dino Gears onto the battlefield. Dino Gigante grabbed Lucky and carried him to the top of the stands, ignoring the young boy's protests, and nodded trustingly to the Wardens, his gaze lingering on his rival.

Giganto, facing all of the Warden's vivosaurs, stopped his attack on Spino ST and roared again, looking around before focusing on Nibbles. He growled, charging at his master's creation, his hatred for the former Dreadsaurus intense on its own and magnified by the dark energy that had altered him. Nibbles snarled back, shooting himself toward this new opponent with the fires in his frill and striking the large carnivore with one of his claws. The dark vivosaur staggered backward, but he refused to back down, simply roaring back as he prepared to attack again.

However, before he made another move toward the Warden vivosaurs, he stopped, lifting his head and sniffing the air. Nibbles did the same, his eyes wide with a mixture of hope and despair. The rest of his team, having been released again, followed their alpha's lead, their shock obvious. The other Warden vivosaurs looked around, also sniffing the air, before suddenly lifting their heads and howling joyfully. When the translators the Wardens wore registered their vivosaurs' words, they all gasped.

"Did they just say…?" Becky asked, looking at her brother.

"Yeah." he almost sighed, his voice unusually soft with suspicion and wariness, "I heard it too, Becks."

"The Commander is here." Liu Ren whispered, looking around, "So our vivosaurs know who the Commander is…"

"Why didn't they tell us?!" Mei Lian cried, glaring accusingly at her V-raptor.

"Maybe because we didn't ask." Penny answered somewhat-guiltily.

"Impossible!" Hanzo declared, "If this 'Commander' is really here, how have I not seen it?!"

"Maybe because you haven't looked, Hanzo." Violet stated, also looking around the Stadium in search of something that resembled the silhouette she had seen in her dreams.

"Wh-Where…" Drake stuttered, looking around fearfully as he trembled, "Where is it?"

"And what's it doing here?" Leon asked skeptically, "Is it here to help us fight Giganto…"

"Or will it help Giganto fight us?" Nate cried, shivering violently.

"But our vivosaurs sound happy." Roland suggested, "Why would they be happy about the appearance of an enemy?"

"Who cares?" Dahlia yelled impatiently, "All I want to know is where this 'Commander' thing is! I wanna see it!"

"So do I." Captain Stryker agreed with Dahlia, "I don't like the secrecy that surrounds this creature."

"I really hope it's not against us." Professor Little squeaked, clutching the Captain's jacket, "At the end of such a long tournament, it's going to be hard enough to fight against Giganto. If we have to fight this 'Commander' too…"

The Wardens then looked at their newest recruit when they heard him chuckle.

"Oh, I don't think we need to worry about that." Elric said knowingly, getting out of his Bone Buggy and standing on top of it, "The Commander won't hurt us. She's here to help."

"She?" several Wardens repeated questioningly.

"How do you know that, Elric?" the Captain asked suspiciously.

"You've known who the Commander is too, Elric?!" Leon yelled, enraged, "Why didn't YOU say anything?!"

"You didn't ask." Elric said simply, looking around the top of the Stadium. When his eyes found who he was looking for, he smiled.

"Elric! This is a direct order! Tell us who the Commander is right now!" the Captain roared at his emissary, furious at the enigmatic boy's mysterious ways.

Elric ignored the Wardens, simply looking upward and speaking to the sky, "You really need to be more careful, you know. The vivosaurs have been talking about you for over a week now. You were supposed to stay in hiding until you'd regained your strength." He then snorted, adding knowingly, "Although, knowing you, I bet you let your presence be known on purpose, didn't you? You're not usually so careless."

"What's he doing?" Dahlia asked in confused impatience.

"I think he's…talking to the Commander?" Penny suggested, still sounding nervous.

"Still." Elric continued, ignoring his audience, "It's a lovely title you've managed to gain. Tell me something. Did you come up with it yourself, or did the vivosaurs give it to you on their own?"

Suddenly, a powerful roar sounded from the top of the Stadium. The audience ducked down into the stands and looked up in terror at the creature they hadn't even noticed was there. The Wardens all visibly jolted, also looking at the source of the roar, unable to believe their eyes or their ears as the Commander's words registered in their translators. What shocked them more, however, was the voice that registered with those words, a voice none of them, human or vivosaur, thought they'd ever hear again.

" _What do you think, Elric?_ "

All eyes were glued to the top of the Stadium as Elric laughed, hearty and unrestrained.

"No, I suppose that wouldn't be your style." he said through his laughter, "Although, it is rather fitting, don't you think?"

He looked up at the top of the Stadium, at the creature that was still perched above the stands, taking in the glittering white scales, long serpentine neck, longer whip-like tail, dark blue fur starting at the head and traveling down to just before the tip of the tail, lean and powerful arms and legs with razor sharp claws at the end of each finger and toe, spade-shaped head with serrated teeth held in front of the muscled chest, the massive dark blue wings extended halfway, before locking eyes with the golden orbs that sparkled with an inner light, holding the predatory gaze as the light blue iris narrowed further.

"Commander Tria Seishin."

At the sound of her name from the lips of her childhood friend, Tria Seishin spread her wings over the humans below her and roared again, the entire Park shaking with the power of the Heaven's Call. She then leapt into the air, powerful wings carrying her upward, soaring over the Stadium and hovering in front of the sun, casting her shadow over all below her in a display of power and confidence. She then dove, teeth and claws bared as she called out her target, the one she'd been waiting for. Giganto jumped back in an attempt to evade the half-dinaurian's strike, but his attacker's experience and skill had not waned during her three-month slumber, and she tilted her wings slightly, carrying her to meet her opponent mid-air. She slammed her hind feet into the chest of the dark vivosaur, black claws raking downward as she threw him to the ground. As the carnivore fell, Commander Tria landed in the arena, in front of the army of vivosaurs, and shrieked to the sky, extending her wings once more and creating a gust of wind to rival any pterosaur's. She then folded her wings, watching her opponent curiously as she felt a familiar presence next to her foot.

"Feeling any better, Tria?" Elric asked his friend, smiling up at her. The half-dinaurian looked down at the silver-haired human and snorted before growling in response.

" _I thought I warned you about this thing._ " she growled, fully aware of the translators worn by the Wardens, " _You should have told the others about it. It wouldn't have crashed the tournament if you had._ "

"Aw, but where'd be the fun in that?" Elric asked rhetorically, patting the leg of the dinaurian's battle form, "Besides, what better way to end the Angel's Cup than with the heroic reappearance of the Angel herself?"

Tria narrowed her eyes at her friend's devious smirk. " _I wonder which of us started the trend of strategic carelessness._ "

"That, I cannot say." Elric replied simply, looking up at Tria and holding out his hand, "May I?"

Tria lowered her head to her friend's hand, gently nudging it with her muzzle before crouching to the ground in front of him.

"Much obliged." Elric said in thanks, stepping onto the arm Tria was holding up for him and grabbing the fur on her neck to pull himself onto her back. As Tria stood, Elric swaying with the familiar motion, she turned to face the Wardens.

"There…There's no way…" Leon whispered, trailing off into speechlessness as he stared at the half-dinaurian, the comrade he'd thought was long gone.

"It…can't be…" Roland whimpered, tears streaming down his face.

"Tria's…alive…but how?" Nate gasped, gripping the edge of the stands until his knuckles turned white.

"She…She died…didn't she?" Dahlia asked, breathless, "We…We…"

"Tria…" Penny called out, leaning so far over the edge of the stands that Mei Lian and Dahlia just barely managed to catch her, "Tria! Is that really you?"

Tria looked at her Warden comrades, her eyes apologetic. She nodded opening her jaws and hissing softly, " _I am sorry, my friends, for making you suffer like this. I swear that I shall make it up to you in time. For now, though…_ " She looked at Captain Stryker's Digger's Rig, gazing down at the Captain, who was staring at her, speechless, and the Professor, who had a river of tears flowing from his eyes even as he stared unblinkingly at her. " _Captain. I apologize for staying away for so long. Now, though, I must ask that you leave this battle to me. Your Wardens are tired, as are you. You all deserve a rest._ " When the Captain nodded absently, Tria nodded in return, facing the alpha of the team she had once commanded.

" _Nibbles…_ " she addressed the Crimson Ravager, not missing how he flinched at her voice, " _I am sorry for leaving you, but you seem to have done quite well as an alpha. Now I must ask you to fight once again by my side. I know it is a cruel thing to ask after I abandoned you so suddenly, but will you lend me your strength once more?_ "

Nibbles stared at the half-dinaurian, the precious companion who had saved him from the fate that had killed her. The companion who had taught him how to make friends, how to enjoy life, and how to lead a team of his own. He nodded tearfully, stepping forward and nuzzling his head against hers, taking in the scent he'd been catching for a week, the warmth he'd been longing for. She nuzzled back, licking his frill affectionately, before pulling away and nodding to him as they faced Giganto, who had finally struggled to his feet and was glaring at the half-dinaurian hatefully.

Giganto roared, charging at his new opponent with his jaws open wide, teeth gleaming. Nibbles prepared to intercept, determined to protect the precious partner who had miraculously been returned to him, but Tria held out her wing, stopping him. He looked at her curiously to see her smirking. She lifted her head, radiating an unmistakable authority, and barked loudly.

" _Nychus! V-raptor! Somersault Kick! Pachy! Jumping Upper!_ " she commanded. Immediately, the two raptors screeched in affirmation, darting forward and striking the large carnivore with their back claws. The hard-headed vivosaur rushed in after them, throwing Giganto upward with his head and knocking him into a weakened stance.

Now grinning, Tria issued her next command, " _Tarbo! Big Allo! Spino ST! Lythro! Gorgo! Grab him!_ "

The large carnivores, at the Commander's order, surrounded the dark vivosaur and clamped their jaws on his neck, shoulders, and legs, holding him still. Giganto glanced at the exit, planning an escape.

" _Toba! Tricera! Guard the exit!_ " Tria ordered. The two large Water-types immediately stood in front of the Stadium's exit, cutting off the carnivore's escape route. The carnivore growled, enraged.

" _Hypsi! Paraloph! Sing!_ " Tria growled more gently to the two smaller herbivores. The kind-natured vivosaurs stood on either side of the dark vivosaur, singing together beautifully. Giganto roared at them, refusing to back down, but the jaws holding him in place only tightened, the support of the song calming them.

" _Ptera! Thalasso!_ _In the air! Watch him!_ " Tria commanded, sending the two pterosaurs into the sky. " _Stego! Ankylo BO! Mihu! Edapho! Strike his feet! Bring him down!_ " The addressed vivosaurs charged forward, attacking their opponent's feet with spines, clubs, blades, and teeth. The carnivore bellowed in pain, but didn't fall. " _Diplo! Argento! Circle him! Stay on guard!_ " The two sauropods lumbered around their opponent, nose to tail, forming a circle around the dark vivosaur.

"This is incredible!" Professor Little gasped, eyes sparkling through his tears, "She's commanding our vivosaurs as if they were her own."

"That must be why they call her the Commander." Captain Stryker mumbled, still in shock, as was everyone else, "She's the Commander of the Vivosaurs."

The Commander of the Vivosaurs, Tria Seishin, noticing that Giganto wasn't going down, tapped Nibbles with her wing. As emerald green met sparkling gold, she smiled.

" _You ready, buddy?_ " she asked, standing close to her partner, " _Let us burn through the darkness that plagues his heart!_ "

Nibbles nodded, eyes hardening as she mentioned the dark energy. " _Yes. Let's._ "

The two large creatures, the Alpha of the Angel's Warriors and the Commander of the Vivosaurs, stepped forward, charging their joint attack. When the energy reached its peak, Tria roared to the vivosaurs still holding their darkened opponent.

" _Release!_ " she commanded. The vivosaurs all let go, jumping clear of Giganto, who looked around in confusion.

As soon as their allies were out of harm's way, Tria and Nibbles unleashed their attacks, the Angel's Fire and Crimson Flames consuming Giganto's darkened form, the dark vivosaur's screams of agony mimicking the death-cries of his master. When the flames faded, the massive carnivore was gone, the black Dino Gear rattling to a standstill on the battlefield. Tria walked over to it, gingerly picking it up and handing it to Elric, who was still on her back.

"You were right as always, Tria." he said to his companion, ignoring the small snort of denial from the dinaurian in favor of examining the Dino Gear in his hand, "How did you know it was going to show up here of all places?"

" _Simple._ " Tria replied, swiveling her head around to look at the human on her back, " _He was looking for someone specific. He was looking for me._ "

"For you?" Elric asked, crossing his arms as Tria walked over to his Bone Buggy, "Why would he be looking for you? Didn't he know you'd died?" He then narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Tria…did you…?"

" _Show myself to Giganto to prove that I was alive?_ " Tria finished for him, snorting before shaking her head, " _No, this is the first time I've seen him directly since my revival. Truth is, he wasn't on the Neo Black Whale when I was killed, or even when I had consumed the dark energy._ "

"What?!" Elric exclaimed, trying to keep his voice low so the Wardens didn't overhear.

" _I'll explain later._ " Tria said as she stopped at Elric's Speed Demon, crouching down so he could dismount, " _For now, calm the audience and gather the Wardens. I'll be waiting elsewhere. We'll explain what's going on over dinner._ "

"I think that's an excellent idea." Elric said as he climbed back into his Bone Buggy, turning on his radio just in time to say, "Well then, until we meet again, farewell, my friend."

" _To you as well, old friend._ " Tria replied, extending her wings and taking off.

"Wait a minute!" Leon, suddenly snapped out of the daze the Wardens had fallen into, yelled, "Where's she going?!"

"She needs to rest, Leon." Elric replied simply, "You'll see her again soon. You all will."

"So wait!" Mei Lian cried, also startled out of her daze. In fact, the entire Warden organization looked like they were waking up from a dream. "Was that really her?! Was that…" She stopped, choking on her words before managing, "Was that really Tria?"

Elric just smiled, leading the Wardens out of the Stadium as the vivosaurs returned to their dormant forms. Nibbles jumped into Elric's Speed Demon, carrying his team with him. "All will be made clear soon. For now, calm the audience and return them safely to their homes or hotel rooms. After that, we'll talk."

The Wardens still looked confused, feelings of hope, sorrow, relief, wariness, skepticism, fear, and anger all mixing and fighting for dominance in their expressions. Only the vivosaurs were sure of their emotions, the complete, unfiltered joy in Nibbles' eyes setting the precedent for the rest of his kind. Their Commander was here, and, more importantly, their friend and the friend of their fighters had returned.


	9. Welcome Home

The Wardens couldn't clear the audience out of the Stadium quickly enough. The civilians had many questions, and were not satisfied with the vague answers they were given. Lucky returned to Leon's side and refused to let go, and, after a heated debate, he was allowed to stay with the Wardens, due to his past relations with the angel who had somehow come back from her own death. The rest of the audience had to be herded out, sometimes with the vivosaurs watching overhead.

Finally, once the crowds had dispersed, the Wardens gathered around Elric, who had been sitting in the lobby examining Giganto's Dino Gear. When he looked up and saw them eyeing him expectantly, he sighed and stood up, facing his comrades and waiting for one of them to speak up.

"What's going on, Elric?" Leon asked, his nerves making him irritable. Lucky remained glued to his side. "Just what the hell is going on? Is that Commander really Tria?"

"That's right." Elric said, eliciting several shocked and confused murmurs from the Wardens and future Warden.

"But how?!" Mei Lian cried angrily, "Tria…Tria died…four months ago! How could she come back after that?!"

"I agree that it seems quite improbable." Liu Ren said thoughtfully.

"But we saw her!" Penny insisted, "And we heard her! That was Tria's voice!"

"I must say, I am honestly baffled." Professor Little whimpered, distressed at the improbability of what he had seen without any alternative explanation.

"I'll explain everything in time." Elric said, leading them out of the Stadium, "For now, we should get something to eat. Dinner, anyone?"

"We don't want food!" Sean yelled, getting frustrated, "We want answers!"

"Where's Tria?" Becky asked as she restrained her brother, "If that really was her, where did she go?"

"I don't know." Elric said, patting Nibbles' head when the little vivosaur nudged his hand, "She just told me she had something to do."

"Something to do?" Liu Ren asked, keeping a hand on Mei Lian's shoulder, the girl's violent shaking hiding the quake in his own body, "Like what?"

"I don't know that either." Elric replied, stopping outside and looking around. The rest of the Wardens stopped too, "You could always ask her, though."

"A-Ask her?" Drake stuttered.

"How?" Violet asked, looking hopefully terrified.

Elric chuckled, knowing and mischievous and, above all, joyful, before tilting his head over his left shoulder and calling, "About time you showed up, Tria. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Didn't have to." another familiar voice answered in the human's language.

The Wardens all gasped and looked up to see the half-dinaurian land on the mechanical dinosaur in the center of the plaza. She was back in her true form, her dark blue hair blowing in the wind and her pure white scales glittering in the light of the setting sun. Her dark blue wings rested on the mechanical dinosaur's head and tail, functioning as a second pair of arms, and her tail swung lazily back and forth. The pink stripes under her eyes gave them their predatory glint, but her smile was as kind as ever, the gentle understanding her friends had been missing in the four months she'd been gone.

"I already knew where it was." she continued answering Elric's question, "What I needed to know was what it was doing, and now I do."

"Well that's good." Elric replied, too casually conversational for the situation, "I take it all is well, then?"

"Hm. That, I don't know." Tria said, glancing at the gawking expressions of the Wardens, "Are you guys all right over there?"

The Wardens were all silent. Even though they'd seen her battle form in the Stadium, and heard her voice through the translators, seeing her like this, in the true form they'd seen enough times in picture to get used to, and hearing her human voice, finally drove it home that this was Tria, Captain Stryker's former emissary and the most skilled of all the Wardens, who had died four months ago in front of her fellow graduates, now sitting in front of them as alive as ever without so much as a scratch. They stared at the girl in front of them, unable to comprehend her survival after witnessing, directly or indirectly, her demise.

Tria and Elric glanced at each other, Tria nervous and Elric amused, before Tria jumped to the ground and faced the Wardens.

"Guys?" she asked again, her confidence beginning the waver. She had expected them to be shocked, but she'd also expected a warm, happy welcome. She hadn't expected the silent treatment she was getting. She was about to speak again when she heard a growl emanate from next to Elric. She looked down to see Nibbles, who was watching her with wide, shining green eyes. She knelt down in front of him, smiling.

" _Hey there, buddy._ " she growled to him, " _I'm sorry I waited so long to return. I had a few things that needed my attention._ "

" _Tria!_ " Nibbles cried happily, jumping into her arms enthusiastically, " _You came back! You came back to us!_ "

" _Yes I did._ " Tria replied, hugging her vivosaur companion, " _Though I must admit, I wasn't expecting to. This is as much a surprise to me as it is to you all._ "

"For the most part." Elric chuckled, smiling at the glare Tria sent his way.

Tria stood up, facing the group of gawking humans still staring at her. She looked at them, nervous, before looking at the ground and spreading her wings.

"Maybe I should leave for a while." she said, more to Elric and Nibbles than to anyone else. She then got ready to take off again, crouching slightly in preparation to launch herself into the air.

"Wait!" someone cried, followed by a hand grabbing Tria's wing. The half-dinaurian looked back at the red-haired racing Warden, meeting the bright orange eyes evenly.

"Tria…" she said, her movement snapping the rest of the Wardens out of their comatose states.

"Yes, Dahlia?" Tria asked, wary.

"Your…" Dahlia muttered, running a hand over the wing she was holding, "Your wings are still soft!"

There was another shocked silence, this time in response to Dahlia's comment. Several of the Wardens sweatdropped, others huffed a slight laugh. Tria closed her eyes and sighed.

"Yes they are, Dahlia." she said, sounding suddenly tired. She tried to pull her wing away so she could take off, but Dahlia just pulled her closer, embracing her tightly.

"It really is you…I can't believe it." she whispered, holding her friend close, "I…I can't…but it's you…it's…" Her sobs rendered her speechless, and she simply clutched her more tightly in an attempt to convey the feelings she couldn't express verbally.

"Dahlia…" Tria whispered back, stroking the girl's hair, "Don't cry. I'm sorry I've upset you. I…" She was then cut off as she was nearly bowled over by another excited girl, this one with purple hair pulled into Chinese-style buns.

"Tria! You're alive! You're really alive!" Mei Lian cried, hiding her tears in the other girl's shoulder, "It's impossible, but here you are! You're amazing!"

"Not without you guys, I wouldn't be." Tria replied, wrapping her wings around the two girls sobbing in her arms, "You all made my revival possible."

"Tria!" Penny cried as she tackled the half-dinaurian as well, followed by Nate and Roland. Tria curled her tail under herself to add support for the multiple bodies surrounding her. She extended her wings further, brushing against Violet, Becky, and Hanzo, who all ran their hands on the soft, thin skin that made up the wing membrane. The three leaders all smiled, tears in their eyes.

Tria looked up, past the many bodies gathered around her, and retracted her wings, stepping toward two of her close friends who hadn't gotten a chance to get to her. Leon was trembling with emotion, tears spilling from his eyes in place of sobs. The sobs were coming from the young boy next to him, the young psychic who aspired to be a Warden. Tria walked up to them, looking down at Lucky, then up at Leon, smiling at both of them. She then knelt down, pulling Leon with her, and opened her arms and wings to both of them.

"Leon, Lucky." she said gently, "I have put you both through a lot. Please forgive me."

"Tria!" Lucky sobbed, pouncing on the dinaurian girl and clinging to her like his life depended on it.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Leon whispered, not trusting his voice to go any louder without cracking, as he embraced her in return, "You saved us. You saved all of us. We will never forget that."

Tria simply closed her eyes, letting the two males cling to her for a minute. Then, gently releasing them, she stood up again and approached the three Fossil Park leaders.

"It seems you've returned to us, Tria." Liu Ren said, his voice actually trembling slightly, "I must admit, I'm at a loss for how you managed it, but I am very glad you did."

"As am I, Liu Ren." Tria replied to the Asian leader, taking his hand and gripping it.

"Haha! I never doubted you for a second, Tria!" Sean declared, slinging his arm around the dinaurian's shoulders, "I knew you wouldn't stay away forever!"

"I'm sure you did, Sean." Tria said, looking up at the American leader's blinding grin knowingly. She then looked at Drake, who was hanging back shyly, and held out her other hand in an offer of friendship to the viking. When he hesitantly approached, placing his calloused hand in her scaled one, she smiled at him.

"It's good to see you again, Drake." Tria said softly, "You're looking well."

"I-It's good…to see you too…Tria." Drake mumbled shakily. Tria smiled and rested her wing-claw on the European leader's shoulder for a moment. Then the three leaders stepped aside, clearing her path to her former leader and his companion.

Professor Little, who had been gripping the Captain's jacket with the effort of restraint, finally let go of his professional mask and ran up to his friend, the friend he'd thought long gone. He wrapped his arms around her torso, sobbing into her stomach like the little kid he actually was.

"How?!" he cried into the girl's shirt, "I saw…I saw you die! I saw your body! How are you still alive?! The sheer improbability of your survival is completely baffling! But I'm happy! So happy!" He continued to ramble into her shirt as his arms tightened around her. Tria ran her clawed fingers through the child professor's light green hair, calming the boy down as her tail curled around him, comfortingly protective.

When the Professor's sobs had faded, he let go as Tria turned her attention to the man who had been her leader since she'd first joined the Wardens. Captain Stryker looked at the half-dinaurian apprehensively, remembering her death and the guilt he still felt regarding it. Tria held out her hand, offering contact to the Captain in a sign of the respect she still held for him. Captain Stryker took the scaly hand in his own, gripping it tightly. He then pulled the girl forward, surprising everyone, including Tria, and embraced her, the intimate gesture unexpected. Tria's grin widened and she embraced the Captain in return, the joy and warmth surrounding her as she was accepted back into the Wardens.

"Welcome home, Tria."


	10. Another Time

The figure stood on the hill, looking in the direction the visitor had gone. He knew the device would fulfill its purpose; he'd never forget what it'd done. Not just for him, but for all of the Wardens. He smiled as the large creature he'd seen flying over him just seconds before landed behind him, folding her wings and crouching to let her passengers dismount.

"Hey there, Little." the younger of the passengers called to the figure. The man in the lab coat turned to his partner, the rusty-red hair and symbol on his forehead the exact same as when he was younger.

"It still seems slightly inappropriate to be called by that name." Professor Little addressed the other man, "Considering I'm taller than you are, Lucky."

Lucky glared at Little, crossing his arms and pouting slightly. The Professor laughed at his companion's expression, slinging his arm around the other man's shoulders as he faced the older passenger and the creature who had brought them.

"I take it you've already delivered the device, Professor." the older man asked, not really a question.

"Of course, Captain." Professor Little replied, "The light-energy gathering device has been delivered. Young Elric was suspicious of me, just as you were."

The Captain nodded. "Good. Then our work here is done. Let us return to the Fossil Center."

"Hm? Is there a gathering soon?" the Professor asked, the question directed to the man standing next to him, who nodded.

"Very soon." Lucky replied, "A large collection of extremely rare fossils will soon be found in America. We have to be ready to handle the rush that will result."

"I see. Then we'd better get going." Professor Little said, walking with Lucky toward the Captain and the creature, "Do you think you can carry all of us, Commander?"

Commander Tria raised her head and snorted at that question.

" _Easily. You're still little to me, little one._ " she growled to the Professor. He laughed again, gently running a hand over the half-dinaurian's foreleg, pausing over the rougher scales covering the tough scar tissue underneath.

"I suppose that is true." he said to her, "Twenty years isn't much to you, is it, Tria?"

The Captain laughed at that statement. "Fifty years won't faze her like it does us. Most dinaurians and half-dinaurians don't slow down until they die."

"And we're thankful for it." Lucky said, wrapping his arms around the dinaurian's neck, remembering how she had guided him to become the Warden he was, "I remember what happened both times you died."

" _Technically, I didn't die the first time. You just thought I did for a week._ " Tria commented idly, " _I did die the second time, though. Until you sent the light-gathering device back._ "

"We can discuss how lucky we are to have Tria with us later." the Captain said, "For now, we must prepare for the upcoming fossil rush."

"Yes, Captain." Professor Little said as he climbed onto Tria's back.

"Whatever you say, Elric." Lucky griped as he climbed up to sit in front of Little with his arms crossed, maintaining some of his childishness even in adulthood.

Captain Elric smiled up at his subordinates as he patted Commander Tria's muzzle in an expression of companionship. Tria purred as she nuzzled the man's cheek, her breath blowing his long silver hair. As he climbed onto her back and she took off, gliding toward the Asian Fossil Center, her rumbling dinaurian voice reached him.

" _Do not fret, old friend. The cycle that led to my revival has been completed, but we still have roles in this world. We shall continue to lead the Wardens and their vivosaurs until our time comes to an end. We began our journey together, and just as we are traveling it together, we shall end it together. We will always be together, so you needn't worry what the future holds, for we will face it as one, with our companions ever at our sides._ "

Elric smiled as he lifted his hand from the dinaurian's neck, his experienced mind swiftly deciphering the message in the vibrations under his hand, although nothing was said out loud. "Thank you, Tria." he whispered to her, "I, too, am truly thankful that you are still with us. We are fortunate to have as capable a Guardian as you to watch over us."

And indeed they were. Whether twenty, fifty, or a hundred years pass, the Guardian Angel of the Fossil Parks would be there, guiding the humans and vivosaurs as they worked together to maintain peace, just as she had when she and the Captain had arrived in the time of the Wardens all those years ago.


	11. New Wardens

It took about a month for the Wardens (and, apparently, the world) to recover from the shock of my revival. I'll admit, I was also surprised that I'd been given another chance at life. I had accepted that my life would end with the destruction of the dark energy, and that would be it, so when I got the anonymous order to go into stasis before I completely left this world, I was skeptical. I didn't expect to come back, but I am certainly glad I did.

Still, I recovered from my surprise within a week, so I was a bit thrown by how long it took my friends to get over it and return to normal interaction. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy the attention most of the time, sleeping in Penny and Mei Lian's room when they have nightmares, going on digs with Nate and Roland or missions with Leon and Lucky, even running with Dahlia. However, the careful way I was treated, like I was something fragile, started to get on my nerves after a while. I still remember getting yelled at when I sat out in a typhoon in Fossil Park Asia about a week after I officially returned to the Wardens. I found it slightly insulting that they thought a little wind and rain could hurt me, though I did find it amusing when Penny and Mei Lian insisted on drying me off themselves once they'd finally gotten me inside. Especially when I'd held my wings over their heads and they'd had to get Nate, Roland, and Hanzo to climb onto my shoulders to weigh them down while Stryker, Little, Liu Ren, Elric, and Nibbles looked on and laughed.

Professor Little had fun testing the mechanisms of my wings and tail, examining and taking notes on how they work as I fly. Not only am I the only dinaurian in this time, and the first dinaurian seen since the rest of my kind left the planet, but I'm also the only known vertebrate with more than four limbs, making me a 'scientific marvel'. He and Yamamoto would call me into the lab to run tests, not only on my body, but also on my attacks, trying to figure out what my mist and flames were made of. They are always careful not to hurt me, but Mei Lian still gets angrily defensive when she catches me there. She doesn't like the thought of tests being run on me, even harmless ones, and her protective nature has only increased after my death.

The veteran Wardens of the Parks tried, for the most part, to take my revival in stride, with the exception of Mei Lian, who didn't even try to hide her shock and joy. Becky spoke calmly about my revival, just as she had with my death, but just like she hadn't been able to hide her tears, she also couldn't hide her grin whenever I showed up or was mentioned. Violet had fun bragging about how she'd 'predicted' my return, usually being met with rolling eyes, groans, or exasperated pats on her back or shoulder. Hanzo seemed to enjoy competing with me, sneaking around and trying to out-wit me as I did the same to him. I'm starting to learn how to tell when he's smiling; his eyes crinkle at the corners.

It seemed like the ones who recovered from the shock of my revival the quickest (other than Elric, who had gathered the light energy in the first place) were the leaders. Liu Ren appears to be too experienced for anything to surprise him for long, though he did seek out my company more frequently. Sean, with all of his hyper energy and bright smile, is highly adaptable to change, no matter how unexpected and improbable it may be. He had fun announcing the news of my revival to his rival and fans, and the energy and excitement could be felt in the Parks for days afterward. And Drake, the timidly bloodthirsty enigma he is, was just happy to have me back and didn't seem to care how.

My team, for the most part, remained in the places they'd made for themselves, with the exception of Nibbles, who generally stayed by my side unless he was needed elsewhere. Since I could fight for myself, I didn't need to carry a team with me, though I did sometimes carry a vivosaur or two with me for old times' sake. Due to my status as the Commander of the Vivosaurs, I could command almost any vivosaur, but I usually stuck with my teammates from my days as the Captain's emissary.

Of course, there was another reason I kept at least one vivosaur with me. Despite the revelation of my true identity to the public and the acceptance of the Wardens, my appearance still disturbed many people, so I carried my holographic disguise with me in case I needed to interact with strangers who weren't used to my true form. Elric and I insisted on it, despite the protests from the Wardens and vivosaurs. We had, before settling in the Wardens' era, frequently traveled to times that had no record of dinaurians, and we knew firsthand how people could react. In order to help the humans of this era adjust, my true form would be unveiled more slowly, with periods of time in my holographic disguise gradually decreasing in length and frequency. It took a bit of debating, but my comrades eventually accepted it, though Nibbles still sulked whenever I took on my human disguise.

The Captain, a few days after the Angel's Cup, formally announced my return to the Wardens as the Commander, a rank equal to his. We essentially work together to run the Fossil Parks, with him handling the humans and me handling the vivosaurs. I didn't know how well he'd adjust to sharing authority after leading the Wardens alone for over five years, but he showed no signs of apprehension. If anything, he expressed relief at having part of the burden of leadership shifted to me.

And that was why, about a month after my revival, I sat in Captain Stryker's office at the top of Warden HQ. The Captain had offered to give me my own office, but I'd declined. As the head of the vivosaurs, most of the things I would need to do couldn't be done in a building, much less an office. So, on the occasions when I needed an office, Stryker let me use his, with me standing next to him when we both needed to address the Wardens or vivosaurs. At this moment, however, the meeting was between Stryker and myself, with Stryker at his desk and me sitting next to him. I had offered to stand in front of him as I always had, but the high-ranking human had turned that down, stating that "We're equals; we should act like it." Which worked out well, because it let me see the computer we were looking at.

"This is the list of people trying out for the Wardens during our next recruitment session. We've set up a slightly different test for them, including the introduction of a written exam, but the battle section remains the same as the final test." Stryker explained to me, gesturing to the list on the screen, "Your instincts are the best we have. Do you notice anything?"

I leaned forward, my tail thumping against my chair as my golden eyes scanned the list of people, their names, pictures, and statistics displayed on the screen.

"Hm." I hummed, tilting my head, "It appears one of them has experience with the Wardens."

"Oh?" Stryker asked, looking at the screen in search of what had led me to that conclusion, "Which one?"

I pointed at the picture of a boy who was around my age. He had sandy brown hair, slightly darker than Sean and Becky's. He had blue-green eyes that held a calm confidence somewhat similar to Elric's, and his clothing, a red sweater covered by an olive-green jacket, was obviously high-quality, indicating a wealthy family.

"I've seen that look before. That kind of confidence doesn't come from personality alone." I stated, leaning back in the chair as Stryker looked more closely at the boy's picture, "He's had previous experience, whether he's worked with Wardens before or has helped with similar tasks. He has potential. Keep an eye on him."

"Prescott Benedict." Stryker muttered to himself, "Sounds quite regal. I'll watch him."

"Him, too." I said, pointing to another boy on the screen listed directly above Prescott. He looked quite different from classy, confident boy below him. He had confidence, that much was clear, but there was nothing calm about him. He had spikey dark brown hair with yellow-orange highlights around the edges. His amber eyes held a wild look to them, a fire so bright I could almost feel it. He also bore a scar across his nose.

"Frett Collins?" Stryker read the name on the screen with a questioning tone, "What about him has caught your eye?"

"His fire." I said simply, pointing a claw at his eyes, "There's a fire in there. He's a battler."

"A Fossil Battler?" Stryker asked. When I nodded, he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, we could always use more battlers, but he seems rather out-of-control. Would it be wise to give an uncontrollable battler a Warden license?"

"If you pair him with someone who can balance him, yes." I replied, "That's one of the reasons Elric and I were partnered together. His calm nature balanced out my predatory instincts."

Stryker glanced at me warily, an eyebrow raised. "I haven't noticed any 'predatory instincts' in you, even when Elric wasn't here."

"Only because you haven't faced me directly." I replied simply, "Also, Elric's calm demeanor has rubbed off on me. We have been working together for years, after all."

Stryker was nodding absently, choosing to let it go at that. He then asked me, "Anyone else you notice?"

I looked over at the screen, scanning the pictures, names, and information, before sighing lightly. "No. The rest are pretty average, at least as far as I can tell."

Stryker nodded again, seeming satisfied. "Well, that will be all. Thank you, Tria."

"No problem, Stryker." I replied. I had stopped calling him 'sir' when we'd become equal in rank. I walked towards the elevator, but stopped and tilted my head to ask, "By the way, when does the Warden Test begin?"

"One week from now." Stryker replied, "You're expected to be there. In your true form."

"Of course." I said, before asking, "Can other Warden candidates join between now and the Test?"

Stryker looked up at me, somewhat shocked and definitely confused. "I suppose so." he said haltingly, "Do you have an idea for a Warden candidate not listed here?"

"Mm…maybe." I said, smirking but giving away nothing, "Don't worry. I'll keep you posted."

I then left the Captain's office, ignoring the annoyed glare aimed at my back from the authoritative human. He still wasn't a big fan of secrecy, especially where I was concerned, but he was no longer my superior, and so he couldn't order me to tell him anything. I stepped into the lobby, also ignoring the gawking stares my true form still brought from Fossil Park visitors and civilians, and pulled out my phone as it started ringing.

"What's up, Elric?" I said as I answered, "Find anything?"

"Yeah." my friend's voice on the other end replied, "She's here. And she's not getting a very warm welcome."

"All right. I'm on my way." I replied, putting my phone away and heading through the World Gate without another word.


	12. Broken Butterfly

When I stepped out into the Fossil Center of the European Park, the first thing I noticed was that I wasn't being stated at. While that in and of itself was nice, it also meant that there wasn't anyone in the Fossil Center, and that was weird. That's when I registered the next abnormal situation in the Fossil Park; the area outside of the Center was filled with angry yells and sickening 'thwacks' that I knew all-too-well.

" _Well, that's just great…_ " I growled, dashing out of the Fossil Center without hesitation. The sight I saw outside filled me with a fiery rage.

There was a mob in front of the Fossil Shop. There were a lot of people yelling and cheering, waving their fists in the air aggressively. Closer to the center of the mob, people could be seen swinging wooden sticks and clubs at something with intent to harm. No, not something. Someone. For there, at the focus of the mob's rage, was Olga Stroganoff.

After being freed from Blackraven's brainwashing, Olga had fled the Neo Black Whale and disappeared from the Fossil Parks. The Wardens had originally planned to track down the mad doctor's former lieutenants, but Kowloon was impossible to find, and since Olga wasn't actually responsible for her crimes, they decided to just leave them be. Elric, on his own, started searching for Olga, keeping track of her and then reporting to me once I'd been revived. We'd both known she would return to the Parks eventually out of guilt, and we'd wanted to be there to welcome her. Unfortunately, the ignorant populace got to her first.

"Get out of here, bitch!" one man yelled, whacking the poor woman with a club.

"You're not welcome here!" another roared from the back of the mob.

"Go die in a hole, damn monster!" a woman screamed, waving a purse and hitting Olga with it.

Olga, normally so tall and intimidating, was hunched over, small and quaking, her arms over her head as she tried to block the attacks, not even attempting to fight back.

"Please! Be listening to me! I am not here to be doing any harm!" she cried, desperately trying to reason with the angry mob, "I am here to be righting my wrongs!"

"Yeah, right!" the man hitting her with a club barked back, "If you think we'll listen to the likes of you, you're dumber than you look! Now get out of here before we feed you to our vivosaurs!" He then swung his club, aiming for the woman's head.

A roar was suddenly heard from the Dino Gear in Olga's pocket, making the attackers hesitate and back away slightly. Olga placed her hand over her pocket, pleading with her companion who dwelled within.

"No, Gorgostroika!" she cried, "You cannot be attacking them! Please be calm!"

"Ha! I knew it!" the man, who I was sure was the leader of the mob, yelled accusingly, "You still carry that monster with you! That PROVES you're evil!" He raised his club once more. "This ends now! Kill her!"

He then charged, the rest of his group following, and attempted to strike Olga's head again, this time aiming for a killing blow. That's when I'd had enough.

The impact was heard, Olga's eyes squeezed shut as she awaited the attack. She then looked up and her ice-blue eyes widened, as did the eyes of the mob leader and his followers, when they realized who the club had actually hit. I stood in front of Olga, in my true form, my arm blocking the attack, unfazed. My golden eyes narrowed dangerously as I threw the man backward, sending him crashing into his cohorts. The mob gasped and backed away, still unnerved by my appearance, while the leader stood up and faced me.

"Commander Tria!" he exclaimed, sounding more joyful than fearful, "Good timing! I just captured one of the BR Brigade's lieutenants!"

"Captured?" I snarled in the human's tongue, "Don't make me laugh. She came here of her own free will."

"Who cares?" he said dismissively, "The point is, I put her in her place! I showed that bitch she couldn't just come to the Fossil Parks and do whatever she wants! I have done a service to the Fossil Parks!" He then smirked. "I'd like you to take me to Captain Stryker so I can discuss my reward. Hurry, now!"

"Your reward?" I asked incredulously, greatly insulted by his words and tone, "Tell me, why should you receive a reward?"

"Why?!" Now it was his turn to be incredulous. "Because I protected this Fossil Park from a dangerous criminal!"

"That's not how I saw it." I growled back, "Looked to me like you gathered a mob together to beat up a helpless woman who'd done nothing wrong."

At my words, the mob erupted again.

"Nothing wrong?!"

"What the hell is she talking about?!"

"Weren't you attacked by that damned woman?!"

"You don't know what you're talking about, Dinaurian!" the mob leader yelled over the crowd, "Your lizard brain can't comprehend this, so stand aside and let the humans deal with this!"

And just like that, something snapped. The humans, who had been calling out various agreements and insults, went silent, frozen in terror at the vicious change in my demeanor as they met my bloody gaze.

Suddenly, I lunged, slashing at the mob leader and leaving a shallow gash on his cheek. He fell back, more from shock and fear than pain, and curled into a fetal position when he saw me prepare to lunge again.

"Tria!" the voice of my childhood friend cut through the crowd, followed by Elric himself as he forced his way through the mob to grab onto me, wrapping me in an embrace to keep me from attacking again and running his fingers though my hair to calm me. His golden eyes never left the mob leader, the glare they held even more ferocious than mine.

"Drake." he said, his voice cold and deceptively calm, "Tria has found the mob leader and marked him with a gash on his cheek. We'll let you take care of the rest."

"R-Right." Drake muttered, his timid voice at odds with the anger on his face and in the rough way he handled the man, who'd begun to protest again, attempting to pin me as a dangerous animal that should never have been revived before screaming as Drake almost crushed his arm with his tightening grip. With the rest of the mob retreating, not angry enough to face Drake's wrath, or my own, Elric released me from his hold and faced Olga.

"Please forgive us, Olga." he addressed her kindly, keeping a hand on my wing to keep me calm, "We had intended to meet you here, but it would seem the mob beat us to you."

"No." Olga whispered, still kneeling, "I am deserving of this. I went to local policeman and confessed to many terrible crimes, yes? But because Dr. Blackraven made with the washbraining of me, I was set free. Still, I am not, how you say, leaping for pleasure."

"Why not?" Elric asked as I tilted my head questioningly, "You couldn't control your actions while you were being brainwashed. You can't expect us to fault you for that."

"Washbraining is no excuse!" Olga cried, shaking her head so hard her winter hat fell off, "I have done many terrible things!" She looked down at the ground, tears falling from her ice-blue eyes, "I hurt many people, and am now without job or sense of purpose. Perhaps I will go back to motherland and take employment at local cabbage factory…"

"Olga…" Elric muttered, looking for words to comfort the distressed woman.

"Join the Wardens." I said simply, startling both Elric and Olga. Olga stared at me, wide-eyed and breathless.

"You…You think I should become Warden?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper as her shock rendered her nearly speechless.

"Sure. Why not?" I replied, sitting in front of the woman and smiling, "There's a Warden Test coming up next week, in which potential new Wardens will be recruited. We can let you take the test as well. I am confident you'll do well."

"Hmm…" Olga hummed thoughtfully, "Perhaps you are on to something. If I were to become Warden, I could dedicate life to helping many people." She then stood up, clapping her hands together and smiling. "Ok, it is settled! I will become Warden!"

"Excellent!" I said, smiling as well, "If you want, I can introduce you to Captain Stryker and we'll get you registered."

Olga smiled at me gently, wiping her tears away. "I owe you great debt, Tria."

"Oh, you don't owe me anything." I said simply, my arms behind my back and my wings returning to my shoulders, "I'm happy to help."

Olga shook her head. "Now I am knowing what it is I should be doing with life, yes? First, you cure me of vile washbraining, and now you show compassion in time of greatest need! I owe you TWO debts, Tria!"

"It's nothing!" I replied, picking up Olga's hat and placing it on her head again, having to prop myself up with my wings to reach, "But if you really want to repay me, you can do so by becoming a Warden and helping people."

Olga nodded. "I will do everything in my power to become Warden, yes? But I must also make request of you." When I tilted my head questioningly, she looked at me pleadingly. "Can you find room in big heart to let Olga be Paleo Pal? I could be learning many fine things at your side!"

"Of course!" I answered without hesitation, smiling as my tail thumped happily.

"Oh! Such gratefulness!" Olga cried happily, the gentle smile that was her natural expression widening.

"Let's go, Olga." I said, holding out my hand to her, "We still need to talk to Stryker. I'll go with you."

"Many thanks, Tria." Olga agreed, taking my hand without hesitation.

I led her into the Fossil Center, meeting the glares of the citizens evenly until they looked away. I also didn't miss Elric eyeing me closely, the critical look unnerving me even now. I knew a confrontation was inevitable.


	13. Another Job to Do

Although originally hesitant to trust her, Stryker quickly warmed up to Olga after hearing her story and intentions. With my confidence and recommendation sealing the deal, he accepted her as a Warden candidate. While they discussed the test and requirements, Elric pulled me aside, his expression wary. I returned his gaze calmly, already knowing what this was about.

"Tria…" he muttered hesitantly, "What happened back there…"

"I know, Elric." I whispered back, "I lost control. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"That's not it, Tria!" he hissed, his urgency making his voice harsher as he struggled to keep quiet, "Do you not realize what happened to you?!"

I sighing, pinching the bridge of my nose as I raised my wings, arching one slightly over us and wrapping the other one around Elric. "Yes, I suspected as much. It would seem I'm not completely free of it."

"You don't seem surprised." Elric stated suspiciously, his voice containing a hint of irritation. I shook my head.

"I felt it there the moment I woke up. I didn't want to believe it, but I can't ignore it completely."

Elric gulped, looking nervous. "I thought…it had left us when you did."

"It had." I replied, "Or rather, it would have, had I actually left. Of course, if I had left, I wouldn't have been able to return, so that's a choice that had to be made. Can't have your cake and eat it too, ya know?"

Elric looked at me warily. "Is it all…?"

I huffed, just shy of a laugh, and shook my head again. "No. Most of it left once my body had begun to fail. However, if we'd wanted to eliminate all of it, I would've had to have been destroyed. Because I wasn't, some of it remains. My own energy, along with the strength I get from others, can keep it dormant most of the time, but it might appear every once in a while, usually when I get angry or weak."

"I'm sorry." Elric muttered, causing me to halt my explanation. I looked at him, realizing belatedly that he'd zoned out halfway through my ramble, guilt dominating his features.

"Sorry? For what? None of this is your fault." I asked, confused as to why he was apologizing.

He smiled ruefully. "For subjecting you to this. I should've known some of it would linger in your body, but even if I had, I still would've brought you back. I'm ashamed of it, but I'm too selfish to let you go."

"Elric." I said, gently scolding, as I wrapped both wings more tightly around him in an embrace, "You know you couldn't have revived me if I hadn't wanted to return. I kept myself here on my own accord, because I didn't want to leave either. I'm glad to be able to live again, to have another chance to serve the world alongside my friends. As long as the world needs me, I'll be here."

"I doubt the world will ever cease to need you." Elric replied, wrapping an arm around me in a return embrace. I just chuckled, knowing it would be futile to argue. We then stood at attention when Stryker called to us.

"Now that Olga is officially a candidate for the Wardens, she needs to become better acquainted with the Fossil Parks." he said, glancing at the tall woman, who looked relieved at having earned the acceptance of the leader of the Wardens, before turning his gaze back to us, "Elric. I would like you to show her around."

Olga looked startled. She had clearly been expecting me to be given that task. Elric also looked mildly surprised, but one look from me reminded him that he was the Captain's emissary now, and so he'd be the natural choice. Once he had led Olga out of the office, a nod from me reassuring the woman, I faced the Captain directly.

"What are you planning to do now, Tria?" he asked me. He had long since stopped giving me orders, now that we're equal in rank. He would, however, frequently make requests of me when there was something he needed me to do. By the expression in his eyes and the tone in his voice, I knew he was about to make such a request.

"I have no distinct plans, Captain." I replied, the use of his title indicating that I was willing to accept whatever his request was.

"In that case…" he began, but trailed off when we heard the elevator doors open, revealing the small red vivosaur who had been my partner throughout my career as a Warden.

" _Tria!_ " Nibbles growled happily when he saw me, running up to me and jumping into my arms.

" _Hey there, Nibbles!_ " I greeted him, hugging the little vivosaur close to me.

"You here to report, Nibbles?" Stryker asked, leaning forward to see the smaller creature.

" _Oh, yeah._ " Nibbles mumbled, sliding to the floor and looking up at Stryker. He still didn't like taking orders from anyone but me, but that had more to do with his independent nature than the dark energy that had plagued him. He handed me the Dino Gear he'd been carrying, and I in turn put it on Stryker's desk.

"This is what you found?" Stryker asked, examining the Dino Gear in his hand. Nibbles nodded.

" _Yeah. I found him in the Cavern Pool in Goldrush Canyon._ " Nibbles reported, his professionalism improving. If I had eyebrows, they would've risen.

"Goldrush Canyon?" I asked in confusion, picking up the Air-type Dino Gear and examining it, "What was a T-rex Stan doing there? T-rex Stan in native to Winding Road in Europe. How'd he get to America?"

"Someone probably brought him there and left him." Stryker sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "We sometimes have people who do that. I don't think they realize how damaging such carelessness can be."

"Grrr…" Nibbles growled in irritation. When Stryker looked confused and tapped at the translator in his ear, I explained.

"Vivosaur equivalent of a groan. It has no translation, which is why the translator doesn't register it."

Stryker nodded back, thanking Nibbles before returning to me. "As for you, Tria, if you have no objections, I would like you to observe some of the potential new Wardens, especially the two you pointed out to me earlier. See if you can find any more talent among the candidates."

"Of course." I replied. It wasn't a very difficult task. Nibbles rolled his eyes at the simple request being asked of the Vivosaur Commander. His eyes then narrowed into a glare when he heard the second part of the Captain's request.

"Also, while investigating the candidates, I would like you to use your human disguise. If they see your true form, they will no doubt behave differently. I'd like you to essentially go undercover to see what other hidden talent you can unearth."

"Right." I agreed, finding entertainment in the thought of going undercover. It held a special thrill for me. Nibbles growled, once again wordless, in annoyance and exasperation. Stryker arched an eyebrow.

"What's the matter now?" he asked. I laughed.

"He doesn't like my human disguise." I replied, "He greatly prefers my true form." I then knelt beside my vivosaur companion, stroking his head. " _Don't worry, buddy. I'm used to using my human disguise, and since I can freely ditch it now, I can still defend myself. Plus, I still carry around at least one Dino Gear with me just in case. I'll be fine._ " When Nibbles still looked apprehensive, I offered, " _Would you like to come with me?_ "

Nibbles perked up, jumping into my arms again and licking my face happily. Stryker looked ready to protest, so I informed both him and Nibbles, "You'll need to remain elsewhere while I interact with the new candidates, but while I travel around or interact with our friends, you are more than welcome to come with me. In fact, I'd really like that."

Nibbles nodded, still curled up in my arms, and Stryker sighed, knowing he didn't have the authority to refuse.

"Very well. I'll leave you to it, then. I would like to be informed of any major findings, but I'll leave that to your judgement. Thank you for your time, Tria."

"My pleasure, Stryker." I replied, leading Nibbles out of the Captain's office. We entered the lobby and, after checking to see who was nearby, I activated my holographic disguise. Ever since my true form had been made public, my human form had stopped being broadcast, making it effectively forgotten. Nibbles snorted in disgust, making me lightly smack his nose.

"Behave yourself, Nibbles. My human form isn't that bad."

" _Speak for yourself._ " Nibbles growled. I just scratched his head, laughing as we left the Fossil Center. Nibbles headed for Paradise Beach to meet with a member of his team, and I headed for the location of the nearest Warden candidate: the Asian Fossil Shop.


	14. Sow the Seeds

When I entered the shop, I looked around at the familiar sight. The shopkeeper waved at me, smiling warmly, and I waved back, scanning the small building for something new. And I quickly found her.

I recognized the girl from the list of new Warden candidates, with her short blond hair and a cowgirl hat. She was sitting at a table near the back of the shop, her eyes focused on a piece of paper in front of her while occasionally shifting to a book to her left. Her brow was furrowed in a picture of concentration and frustration. I walked up to her right as she groaned and slammed her head on the table.

"Well, shoot." she moaned, her voice carrying a heavy country accent, "This here's tougher than a sack of scorpions."

"What's going on?" I asked, standing beside the girl's chair.

She jumped nearly a foot off the chair, staring at me with wide eyes, but she recovered quickly and smiled.

"Hey there, pard. You working on this Warden homework, too?" she asked me as a greeting.

"Nope, sorry." I answered, thinking to myself, "This must be the written exam Stryker mentioned."

"You ain't? Well, lucky for you." the girl said, sounding disappointed that she didn't have someone to share her frustration with. She remained quiet for a moment before looking up at me with a thoughtful expression. "Listen, this is gonna sound strange, but I'm looking for an expert on dropping fossils."

I arched my eyebrow, giving the girl an odd look. "An expert…on dropping fossils?"

The girl nodded. "Like someone who's excavated at least one of 'em. Someone who does nothing but dig up dropping fossils day and night!" She sighed, "I wonder if that someone even exists…"

"Only one?" I muttered to myself, "Wouldn't an 'expert' who dug up dropping fossils 'day and night' have found more than one?"

The girl then stared at me again, a strange look of recognition on her face as her eyes brightened. "Hey now! You might just be the ticket!"

"Oh yeah?" I asked, crossing my arms and shifting my weight to one foot in an image of casual confidence.

Daisy nodded, cutting straight to the point, "All right, so here's the deal. My homework is to investigate dropping fossils."

"Dropping fossils?" I asked, adding in my head, "Why would part of the Warden Test involve dropping fossils? What do they have to do with being a Warden?"

"Heh." the girl giggled, misinterpreting my expression of confusion as she said, "I guess it is a mite weird to start talking about dropping fossils with a person you just met, huh? My name's Daisy Fields, and I'm studying to become a Warden."

"What a coincidence." I said, feigning surprise, "Considering I'm a Warden myself."

"No fooling?" Daisy cried, perking up considerably, "YOU'RE a Warden? Heck, you ain't that much older than me!"

"Well, I haven't been a Warden long." I admitted, "But with everything that's happened lately, I have plenty of experience."

Daisy looked at me in awe, then sighed and turned back to the book and paper in front of her. "I'm doing everything I can to become a Warden, but…" She trailed off, continuing only when I tilted my head, "I've been busier than a one-legged girl in a jumping contest with this here Warden Test!"

"I understand." I said, glancing at the paper, "They didn't have a written exam when I joined. It's a recent addition."

Daisy nodded again sadly, continuing, "And the worst assignment of all is this essay I have to write about dropping fossils! I thought it was about the foulest thing I ever did hear, so I kept putting it off. But now I gotta finish it or else! Problem is, I can't finish it! It'll take me so long, the rest of the test won't get done! So that's why I'm talking to you."

"Go on…" I said simply, getting slightly impatient.

"You've excavated dropping fossils before, am I right?"

I lurched back, now really taken by surprise. I had encountered dropping fossils before in my career, in my home time as well as here, but, "How'd you know?"

"Aw, shucks." Daisy giggled again, scratching the back of her head sheepishly, "It ain't much of a trick. Just a little tickle I get in the back of my noggin." I perked up in interest as she continued, "Anyway, you mind if I ask you a favor? There's a mule's load of dropping fossils out there, but one kind's more precious than all the rest. Why, you ask? Because they're GOLD! I'm talking about Golden Droppings!"

"Golden…Droppings?" I muttered exasperatedly.

Daisy nodded. "Apparently, you can find the little nuggets in the Cavern Pool section of Goldrush Canyon. Might be able to rustle them up elsewhere, too, but I think Cavern Pool's your best bet." she explained, looking up at me with pleading eyes, "So please, pard. Go out there and excavate a Golden Dropping fossil for me! Oh, and then tell me what you think of it so I can finish my gosh-darn essay already!"

I arched my eyebrow, looking at her skeptically. "You do realize that's cheating, right?"

"It ain't cheating!" Daisy yelled defensively, before shrinking back from my gaze, "Ok, maybe it is. But I don't care! I'm gonna lose my marbles if I don't pass this test!"

"Relax, Daisy." I said, chuckling, "I'll help you. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into."

"Really?" Daisy almost squeaked excitedly, perking up again, "You'll help me chea…Er, I mean, pass the test? Gosh, thanks so much!" She then looked at me slyly. "Or are you just one of them types who can't say no to nothin'?"

I laughed. "Oh, I can say no. I just don't think you should fail the Warden Test just because you couldn't find a dropping fossil."

"Aw, that's right sweet of you." Daisy said happily, "Now I can focus on the rest of my work. I'll be right here with my nose in a big ol' book, so come find me when you're done!"

"Will do!" I replied, heading out of the Fossil Shop.

Back outside, I met up with Nibbles, who was waiting by the mechanical dinosaur.

" _So, how'd it go?_ " he asked me, glancing at the building I'd just exited, " _Did you find one of the candidates?_ "

" _Yep._ " I replied, heading onto the Fossil Center and making my way toward the World Gate, " _And she needs my help with something._ "

" _Your help?_ " Nibbles asked suspiciously, " _With what?_ "

" _Passing a rather ridiculous part of the Warden Test._ " I replied, not missing the disapproving glare I received from Nibbles.

" _Isn't that cheating?_ " he asked. When I nodded, his disapproval deepened. " _Why are you helping her cheat? Don't the humans look down on it?_ "

" _I have three reasons._ " I said as we entered America, " _First of all, it's a stupid part of the test, and she shouldn't fail because of it. Also, what she needs is in the Cavern Pool in Goldrush Canyon, which I've been wanting to examine since you found that T-rex Stan Dino Gear there._ "

Nibble narrowed his eyes at me. " _And the last reason?_ "

I smiled as we entered the Garage, deactivating my human disguise as I growled, " _The girl has unusually sharp instincts, nearly on par with mine. We don't want the Wardens to lose that, now do we?_ "


	15. She's WHAT?

I flew quickly through the dry, rocky digsite, Nibbles roaring gleefully in my arms with his tongue hanging out, heading for Mt. Dinomore. I had lost two Bone Buggies since becoming a Warden, one still stranded in the Cretaceous period and the other still in the entrance room of the Neo Black Whale, and though I'd been offered another new one, I'd declined, preferring to fly where I needed to go. Nibbles certainly enjoyed flying in my arms more than riding in a Bone Buggy.

As I approached the peak of Mt. Dinomore, I saw exactly what I'd expected: Becky, Gorgo, and Big Allo facing off against T-rex Sue, who'd been getting increasingly hostile since shortly before my revival. Becky had been assigned to deal with her, even recruiting Gorgo to help, but T-rex Sue would not back down, becoming more aggressive and distressed with each attempt to subdue her. While I was there, I might as well check things out and see what help I could offer.

"Hang in there, Big Allo! Grab her tail!" Becky commanded, "Gorgo! Grab her neck! Hold her!"

The two carnivores obeyed, locking their jaws on the neck and tail of the huge carnivore and holding her in place. The Fire-type female struggled in vain, crying out desperately. I landed on Becky's light blue Heavy Hauler, startling the American Warden.

"Ah! Tria?! What are you doing here?" she asked, looking out of her window at me. Gorgo looked at me and snorted in greeting before growling at the struggling T-rex Sue.

"I'm checking out this situation." I replied, perching on her window, "Looks like you could use some help."

"Ain't that the truth." Becky sighed, turning back to the female Fire-type, "This T-rex Sue's becoming more hostile than normal. She attacks anyone who comes near her, and she's been hunting an abnormally large number of rogues, even for a large carnivore. And no matter how many times we bring her down, she refuses to revert back to her Dino Gear. We don't know why." Becky looked up at me again. "Elric said you might be able to figure this out. What do you think?"

I looked at T-rex Sue, a thoughtful expression on my face. Nibbles, on the ground now, moved to transform and add his strength to the vivosaur's restraint, but I stopped him. Sniffing the air, my eyes widened and I roared at the other two vivosaurs.

" _Release her!_ " I commanded, my authority over the vivosaurs making both Gorgo and Big Allo jump away from Sue. The carnivore got up, eyeing me warily as I flew down and approached her. I kept my teeth hidden and non-threatening as I remained in my smaller form. I held out my hand to her, purring soothingly.

" _It's okay, my friend. I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to help._ "

Sue lowered her body back to the ground, nudging her nose against my hand as she sensed my gentle intentions. I ran my hand over her swelling flank, pressing gently and feeling the abnormalities there. Sue watched me nervously, her fear almost painful, while the Warden and allied vivosaurs looked on curiously. I then nuzzled Sue's head, purring into her ear, and she rumbled her responses, closing her eyes as I stroked her muzzle comfortingly. I walked back to the Warden group with my findings and the orders that went with them.

"Becky, we need to keep this area closed off, and it needs to be routinely checked to make sure Sue is all right. She also must be provided with plenty of food and nutrients. I'll head both of those operations. We must stop trying to restrain her."

"What's going on with her?!" Becky exclaimed as Gorgo and Big Allo returned to their Dino Gears and Nibbles to my side, "Did you find out why she's acting this way?"

"I did." I replied, glancing at Nibbles, "This is what can happen when you leave a vivosaur from one region in another. Someone left a T-rex Stan here a little while ago, which Nibbles collected, and this is the result."

"Seeing the T-rex Stan in her territory made her more hostile?" Becky asked, clearly confused. The vivosaur didn't seem to get it either, so I sighed.

"No. His presence has resulted in her pregnancy." I said slowly, deciding that bluntness was the best policy. I paused for a few seconds to let this new information sink in, counting down to the inevitable explosion.

3…2…1…

"WHAT?!" Becky screamed, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. Nibbles gawked at me.

" _Is that why she smells so weird?!_ " he asked me disbelievingly. When I nodded, he looked back at the rogue vivosaur in shock.

"Can vivosaurs get pregnant?" Becky asked me, still unable to wrap her mind around the possibility.

I nodded again. "It's pretty rare, since rogues are usually kept separate from others of their kind, and vivosaurs didn't run rogue in my time, but it has happened before. You have to be careful with the offspring, though."

"Why?" Becky asked, still getting over her astonishment at the thought of a pregnant vivosaur, "What happens to them?"

"Nothing happens to them." I replied, "They're just born as dinosaurs, not vivosaurs."

"WHAT?!" Becky and Nibbles both screamed this time, with Becky adding, "Why? Why would two vivosaurs produce dinosaurs?!"

"Because vivosaurs are just revived dinosaurs. Each individual vivosaur died as a dinosaur and was revived from its fossils, and, through that process, was turned into a vivosaur. The offspring of vivosaurs have never been revived, and since a vivosaur's genes are the same as when it was a dinosaur, just with different expressions, the offspring inherit the genes of the dinosaurs their parents were, not the vivosaurs their parents are." I explained casually to the increasingly-anxious pair.

"This is serious." Becky mumbled, "I have to tell Sean about this immediately." She then looked at me and smiled. "Thanks for your help, Tria. Just expect Sean to contact you about this soon."

"Heh. I'll be ready." I replied, smiling back at the American Warden. After waving goodbye to her and nodding reassuringly to Sue, Nibbles and I headed further down the metal platform that led into the upper areas of the Cavern Pool.

" _Are you sure it's a good idea to let dinosaurs be born into this world?_ " Nibbles asked me, " _They aren't as easy to control as vivosaurs, you know._ "

" _Relax, Nibbles._ " I growled back, stroking his head, " _I've dealt with this situation before. I know what to do._ "

He still looked uneasy, but he let the issue go in favor of a simpler topic.

" _Are you really going to help the human girl cheat?_ " he asked, looking up at me.

" _Of course._ " I replied, pulling out the portable sonar from my home time along with the hand-held hammer and drill Professor Little made for me, " _What's so wrong with assisting a newcomer, especially since I don't have to go out of my way or endanger myself to do so?_ "

" _The humans won't approve…_ " Nibbles muttered, growling low in his throat.

" _In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a human._ " I replied, flexing my wings for emphasis, " _And I don't see a problem with cheating. Humans are prideful creatures that have a strong sense of honor, a trait many vivosaurs pick up on. However, when you're trained to survive, you don't develop that same sense. What humans define as 'cheating' is using unconventional means to get things done, whether it be using tricks and cunning in a fight instead of brute force, or asking for help with a task that was assigned to you alone, but is that really such a bad thing? It's a method of survival, one that is critical to many species, and one that I've employed on numerous occasions._ "

Nibbles tilted his head, his eyes thoughtful as I found and began to excavate the Golden Dropping fossil. A look of confusion then crossed his face as he eyed me closely.

" _You had to cheat to survive?_ he asked incredulously. When I nodded, he became even more disbelieving. " _But why? You're strong enough to go up against any vivosaur here, and you were one of the strongest creatures in your time, which was full of many strong fighters and vivosaurs! Why would YOU have to use trickery?!_ "

I chuckled, placing the Golden Dropping fossil in my bag as I turned back to Nibbles. I knelt in front of him, stroking his head. " _I wasn't always this strong, you know._ " I reminded the small vivosaur, smiling gently as I picked him up and prepared to take off toward the Park again, " _This strength and power came from years of training and experience, and before I got that, I had to battle much more carefully and craftily to avoid being seriously injured or killed. Only after I got this strong, shortly before coming here, have I been able to take battles more head-on, and even now I have to use evasive maneuvers, which some humans consider cheating, because my body is lightly-built and more fragile than most vivosaurs'._ " I looked at Nibbles, whose eyes were wide and awed, and laughed as I took off. " _So, basically, I am a habitual cheater, and if the Wardens have a problem with that, they'll have to have a problem with me._ "

Nibbles snorted, mumbling how that would never happen, and I just laughed again, soaring high over Goldrush Canyon, watching all of the Bone Buggies scurry around with joy and pride in my heart.


	16. A Golden Opportunity

When I returned to Fossil Park Asia, once again in my human disguise, Nibbles sat on the mechanical dinosaur to wait for me while I went into the Fossil Shop, the Golden Dropping fossil in my bag. I approached Daisy, who didn't notice me at first, so focused she was on what she was reading.

"Well, shoot." she groaned, mimicking when I'd first met her, "This test's tougher than a saddlesore on a bull's hindquarters…" I looked over her shoulder to see what she was reading.

"Need any more help? I'm pretty good at things like this." I asked, startling the girl.

"Oh! Hey there!" she greeted me, recovering quickly from her surprise, just like when we'd first met, "Done with digging?"

"Yep." I replied, removing the fossil and handing it to her, "This what you need?"

"Yeeeee-haw!" Daisy cried, holding the Golden Dropping fossil and examining it, "You saved my hide! Right, now time to write this durn essay!"

We spent the next twenty minutes sitting at her table, Daisy writing about the dropping fossil I'd brought her while I interjected with some information about excavating it. With her paper concluded, she slammed her pencil down with vehemence.

"Done! I'm finished!" she declared, "Now I never have to write another essay about dropping fossils again!" She looked at me and grinned confidently. "Still got a few more tests on my plate, but nothing I can't handle. Thanks for everything, pard."

"Glad to help!" I replied as I stood up. Daisy followed me.

"I don't suppose you'd mind us becoming pards after all this, would ya? I bet there's plenty a Warden like you could teach a cowpoke like me! Whaddya say?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure!" I answered gladly, shaking the hand she offered me.

"Oh yeah!" she exclaimed in sudden realization, "I don't even know your name! Now I'm right embarrassed!" She scratched the back of her head sheepishly and turned a light shade of red. "Would ya mind telling me what your name is?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, I heard someone start screaming.

"TRRIIIAAAA!"

I looked up to see Roland rolling toward us, heading straight for Daisy. The Warden candidate gasped, bracing herself for impact, but she didn't have to. With the speed and smooth movement of experience, I stepped in front of Daisy and stopped the hefty male in his tracks.

"Hey there, pard. Are you okay?" Daisy asked from her place behind me.

"Yeah…" Roland mumbled as I helped him up, "I'm basically a beach ball with legs, so when I trip, I don't stop. It's nothing new…"

"What's the rush, Roland?" I asked him, leaning against the wall and crossing my arms. Roland turned his wide eyes to me and grinned.

"Hey there, Tria! So I've got some big news!" he exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Is that so?" I asked rhetorically, noting the wide eyes filled with confusion that were darting from me to Roland and back again.

Roland nodded, getting ready to elaborate, but a squeak from Daisy stopped him.

"Did…" she almost whispered, becoming increasingly nervous, "Did you say…Tria? The dinosaur girl who saved the world?"

"Uh…yeah?" Roland replied, not understanding the younger girl's confusion. He then looked at me again and did a slight double-take. "Hey, why are you in your human disguise? I thought you got rid of that."

I shook my head. "I didn't. Remember, Roland? Many people are still disturbed by my true form, so I use my human disguise when interacting with strangers."

"We're not disturbed by your true form!" Roland argued, disregarding the utter shock on Daisy's face.

"Only because you got to know me personally first." I retorted, sighing and turning back to the Warden candidate, "I'm sorry, Daisy. I didn't mean to deceive you. I just didn't want to scare you. My true form does have that effect sometimes."

Daisy shook her head, though it was unclear whether it was in negation of my apology or in an attempt to shake off her shock. "You…ya really are Tria? Commander of the Vivosaurs? The Warden at equal rank with the Captain?"

I nodded, waiting to take her reaction head-on. She looked down at the floor, gradually turning from ghostly pale to light pink to bright red. She then hid her face in her hands and sobbed.

"I can't believe it! I can't believe I've been talking to the Vivosaur Commander all this time! I'm more embarrassed than a donkey at a race track!"

"Don't cry, Daisy." I said gently, reaching out to her, "There's no reason to be embarrassed."

She didn't seem to hear me. "The Commander of the Vivosaurs, the world's savior, and the first thing she hears from me is about dropping fossils!" she continued to sob, "And I asked her to help me cheat! Oh man…I'll never make it into the Wardens now…"

At hearing that, I could no longer contain myself; I burst out laughing. The sheer familiarity of the girl's ranting was too much for me to handle. Daisy looked up at me, her tearful eyes filled with confusion.

"Oh man." I sighed, wiping a stray tear from my eye as I smiled at the girl, "I've heard that one before." When I noticed both Daisy and Roland staring at me, I explained, "I remember when I first learned that Liu Ren was the leader of Fossil Park Asia. I'd freaked out just like you are now, since he'd had to take care of me after I'd captured Gorgo. He'd also had to teach me how to drive and excavate fossils with the Bone Buggies. I'd thought I'd ruined myself by giving him the impression of me as a reckless rookie. I was so upset."

"Truly?" Daisy whimpered, sniffling.

"Truly." I replied, noting Roland's interest in this anecdote. Apparently, I tell good stories, no matter what they're about. "Luckily, he didn't see it like that, and I somehow managed to impress him instead."

"Somehow?!" Roland exclaimed, "Whaddya mean somehow?! You're amazing, Tria!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere." I muttered, chuckling, before returning my attention to the girl in front of me, "Don't worry, Daisy. You'll get into the Wardens; I am sure about that. And I'll help you however I can."

Daisy wiped her eye, her gaze wary. "But…I asked you to help me cheat. Won't that get me booted from the Wardens?"

"Not by me." I replied, "If I really didn't approve, I wouldn't have helped you. There's nothing wrong with asking for help. In fact, I think it's good that you're willing to reach out to others instead of taking on everything yourself. Trust me, your method is much more preferable."

"I wonder who you're talking about." I heard Roland mumble, "Leon, or yourself."

"Both, actually." I said to the hefty boy, startling him. It would seem that some of the humans still aren't used to my stronger senses.

"Even though I asked you to find a dropping fossil?" she asked, sounding even more embarrassed about that, "I took up your time to find a dropping fossil."

"Didn't take much time." I replied, shrugging, "I needed to go to Goldrush Canyon anyway, so I wasn't actually going far out of my way to get what you needed, too."

Daisy looked up at me again, this time with a small smile. "So…you think I'll get into the Wardens?"

I nodded again, holding out my hand. "I think so. Do you still want to be Paleo Pals?"

Daisy's eyes widened, as did her grin, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Yee-haw! I'm pards with the Vivosaur Commander!" She then looked down shyly, twiddling her thumbs as she asked hesitantly, "Um, if ya don't mind, might I see your true form? Since ya said yer using a disguise an' all…"

I smiled, deactivating my holographic disguise without verbal comment. The girl jumped, but just barely, and my hopes for her soared. She then walked around me, examining my features closely while humming to herself. She rocked back on her heels and addressed me again.

"Well, I reckon I've never seen the likes of you before." she said, nodding as she spoke, "But I can't say yer that scary. Shocking, maybe, but not scary."

I flicked my tail, ignoring Roland's mutter of "You haven't seen her mad." I then shifted my wings and Daisy jumped more.

"Whoa!" she cried, looking at my wings more closely, "Yer cape…it…"

"That's not a cape." Roland interjected, grabbing one of my wings gently and lifting it off my shoulder, "But don't worry. Everyone makes that mistake at first."

Daisy 'oo'd as she ran a hand over my other wing in awe. I chuckled at her reaction, withdrawing my wings as I returned to business.

"You'll have plenty of time to learn about me, Daisy, but first, you must complete the rest of the test. We'll leave you to it."

"Right!" she yelled, saluting me. I laughed, assuring her she didn't have to salute me, and made to follow Roland back outside. However, Daisy reached out and grabbed the edge of my wing again, asking quietly, "Why'd ya help me? Truly?"

I looked the girl dead in the eye, my gaze, holding a constant predatory gleam no matter how gentle my expression, making her shiver.

"Because you have excellent instincts." I replied, "You were able to pick up on my skill level almost immediately, and you weren't afraid to risk asking for help, despite knowing you'd get into trouble if I ratted you out. Those instincts and that willingness to trust others is quite rare in this world, and it is invaluable to the Wardens. I'll be damned if I let you fail just because you couldn't find a fossilized crap. That'd be nothing short of stupid."

Daisy smiled, seeming satisfied with my answer, and returned to her work. I smiled back and walked outside, my scales glittering in the sunlight as I met with Roland to see what his 'big news' was.


	17. Skinny Roland

Back outside, in front of the mechanical dinosaur, I met with Roland and Nibbles. The little vivosaur pressed against my legs in greeting, and I stroked his head while addressing my fellow Warden.

"So, Roland. What's this 'big news' you wanted to tell me?"

Roland grinned. "Today's the day I finally start slimming down!" he declared excitedly.

I arched an eye ridge (dinaurians lack eyebrows) and intentionally kept my voice neutral as I responded, "Is that so?"

Roland nodded, either not noticing my sudden guarded tone or simply ignoring it. "I mean, I'm not exactly slender, ya know? And it's always causing me to trip and go rolling across the floor. I've tried all kinds of diets, but I just can't seem to stick with 'em. But I've been talking to Professor Little, and he thinks his new invention might be able to help! It's a calorie-burning engine!"

"Uh-oh…" I muttered, more to myself than to Roland. I knew where Professor Little got the idea for that invention, and this plan could only end badly.

"Seriously!" Roland insisted, mistaking my hesitation for disbelief, "It's a Bone Buggy engine that's powered off my own weight! I was just about to take my Bone Buggy for a spin and try it out, and, well…" He trailed off, almost in embarrassment, and I tilted my head. "I was thinking you might want to come along on the first test ride! I think you should be the first person to see the newer, skinnier Roland! So, what do you say?!"

I hesitated, cringing at the pleading gaze he was giving me. On one hand, I knew how dangerous this was; Roland could easily die from this, and I didn't want to encourage him. However, one look into his eyes told me he wasn't giving up. If I didn't go with him, he'd just go by himself, and that could prove fatal for him. If I went with him, I'd at least be able to stop him before he went too far.

With my mind made up, I looked at him and nodded. "Sure!" I said, smiling to hide my misgivings.

"All right!" he cried, throwing his fist in the air, "I'm so excited!" He then led me into the Garage, Nibbles following at my order.

"I thought Paradise Beach would be a good place for a test drive." Roland said as he got into his Heavy Hauler and attached a small tube to his stomach, "Let's get this show on the road!"

"Right…" I mumbled, grabbing Nibbles and perching on top of the Bone Buggy. I fitted my earpiece so that I could hear his voice over the radio. Nibbles groaned.

"Let's head down here for starters." Roland said as he drove down the main path of the site, "Remember, the more I drive, the more calories I burn, and the skinnier I'll get! Woooo!"

"Calm down, Roland! Don't get carried away!" I scolded him, but he didn't seem to hear me.

"Whoa! Look at that! I think my belly's a little smaller already! Let's keep moving!" he yelled, his enthusiasm worrying. Nibbles and I exchanged worried looks. A few minutes later, we heard him exclaim again, "Holy cow! I can see my feet! I haven't been able to see my feet since I was little! Ok, this is the last stretch! Let's go!"

I remained tense, my worry increasing. Nibbles sighed and shook his head.

Once we reached the cliff overlooking the ocean, I'd finally had enough.

"Ok, Roland, that's enough! Let's head back! I'll carry you!" I called to him through the earpiece. When I didn't get a response, I began to panic. "Roland?!"

"Hoooo…" I heard him groan, his voice weak, "I'm so…slim…No fat…anywhere…Just…skin and…bones…S-So…incredibly…slim…"

"ROLAND!" I cried, jumping down and punching through the window of his Bone Buggy, ripping the door off. I grimaced at the sight before me.

Roland was leaning back against his chair, his breathing labored. His green shirt hung loosely around him, his ribs showing through it despite the looseness. His cheekbones stood out on his face and his eyes were sunken in. His muscles had shriveled and weakened, the extreme loss of energy taking a toll on them. He looked at me, his unfocused eyes filled with an unmistakable fear.

"Damn…" I growled, "I should've stopped you sooner. Hang on, Roland. I'll get you back to the Center." I turned to my vivosaur companion. " _Nibbles. Get the Bone Buggy back to the Park._ "

" _Right!_ " Nibbles roared as he transformed into the Crimson Ravager. I disconnected the tube that was still zapping Roland's strength and soared quickly over the dig site, the skeletal Warden fading in and out of consciousness in my arms as I darted through the portal.

As I flew into the Fossil Park, I was met with Roland's teammates.

"Hey Tria!" Penny greeted when she caught a glimpse of me.

"What's the rush?" Nate asked casually. Both of their expressions turned to panic when they caught sight of who I was carrying.

"Oh my gosh! Is that Roland?!" Penny cried, running up to where I was hovering.

"What happened to him?!" Nate exclaimed, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"He tried to lose weight. He succeeded beyond his wildest dreams." I explained to them, landing and rushing into the Fossil Center, calling back to them, "I'm taking him to the Professor's lab. Meet me there!" I then sped into the lab, the two Asian Wardens following behind.

"This is shocking." Professor Little muttered gravely to himself, "I never imagined that poor Roland would lose THIS much weight."

"What happened to him?!" Nate asked again, panicked.

"I made an engine that runs on calories." Little explained, not seeming to understand the danger involved in such an invention, "Roland asked if I could give him one to help him lose weight."

"Are you crazy?!" Penny shrieked at the poor Professor, "How could you give ANYONE something like that?! What were you thinking?!"

Professor Little backed up, curling against my stomach as he squeaked, "I…It worked for…"

"For who?!" Penny screamed, her panic turning to anger at the young prodigy's irresponsible actions, "Who could something like that possibly work for?!"

"Me." I said, my calm sternness quieting the terrified girl while I gently hugged the small professor to me, "The Professor got the idea from me."

"From you?" Penny asked, now thoroughly confused.

"You invented the calorie engine thing?" Nate asked, completely lost.

"No." I replied, gently rubbing the child's shoulders as I explained, "But it is based on the findings of tests run on my metabolism. That engine basically works as an artificial version of my metabolism that transfers energy to an outside body instead of keeping it inside."

"Y…You…" Roland gasped. Penny was at his side in an instant, asking how he was feeling, but he ignored her. "You…use that…thing?"

"Kind of." I replied, keeping my voice gentle.

"The engine itself was based off of Tria's metabolism and how it processes and uses energy." the Professor explained, "The only difference is, while Tria's energy goes into physical functioning, like flying or using attacks, the engine uses that energy to run machinery, like a Bone Buggy. It was supposed to use energy at the same rate that Tria does, but…"

"I have more strength and energy than most humans." I continued when the Professor trailed off, "With how you were driving, that energy drainage was the equivalent of a difficult battle for me, and since you don't have the ability to produce enough energy to keep up with what the engine was taking, it left you like this."

"Will he be all right?!" Penny cried, gripping Roland's bony hand. Nate hovered anxiously at his weakened comrade's shoulder.

"Maybe." Professor Little replied, unwrapping his arms from my torso as he returned to the analytical mind of a scientist. I kept my hands on his shoulders, kneading out the tension the situation had caused. "But if he doesn't start eating everything in sight to regain that weight, I'm afraid he may simply disappear!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Nate cried, already rushing to the door, "Let's get him some food!"

"N-No…" Roland begged, making Nate and Penny stop and look at him, "Please…I just got skinny…I've never been skinny before…I can't possibly go back to the way I was…"

"Why not?" I asked over the scrambling protests of Nate, Penny, and Little. I knew the answer, having dealt with enough people to know what was on his mind, but the others needed to hear it from him for it to have an impact.

Roland looked at me, his eyes distressed even through his exhaustion. "Everyone will…like me better this way. Right?"

"No way!" Penny almost exploded, looking insulted at the very notion.

"We liked the old you!" Nate added, looking directly into his friend's tired blue eyes.

"We like you here! We don't want you to disappear!" Little argued, sounding exasperated. Everyone looked at me when I chuckled.

"We always want what we can't have, don't we?" I sighed, as much to myself as to the humans around me. I then approached the drained Warden, a smile on my face. "Roland. Let me tell you something about my species. The dinaurian side."

Everyone looked at me intently, always ready to hear more about the dinaurians.

"Did you know?" I asked, "That most dinaurians, if they still existed on this planet, would've been envious of your weight? The body type you're so keen on getting rid of?"

Roland's eyes widened, and he stared at me in shock. Nate and Penny exchanged a glance. Little looked up at me, his expression intrigued.

"Really?" Roland asked, not quite able to believe it, "Why?"

"Because it means you're well-off." I replied, "That you have enough food to store sufficient amounts of it in your body. It implies a luxury most dinaurians aren't capable of, which makes it more attractive. Weight is also an advantage in combat, which adds to its appeal."

Roland stared at me for a few seconds, pondering my words. He then looked at his friends, asking, "Y-You mean it? You really prefer the old me?"

"Heck yeah!" Nate yelled, startling the other boy.

"We want you happy and healthy!" Penny added in all her motherly care.

"We like you better than not you!" Little said in a rare display of his age. I simply nodded.

"Huh." Roland gasped, looking up at the ceiling, "I had no idea. In that case, I guess it doesn't matter what I look like, eh?" When we all shook our heads, he raised his voice. "All right! Bring on the calories!"

"Yeah!" Nate and Penny yelled as they rushed to get food. I smiled, before kneeling next to the Professor as he looked at the floor in disappointment.

"I guess that invention was a failure, huh?" he asked me, sounding sad despite himself.

"Not really." I replied, stroking his back, "Your invention worked perfectly. It's just that most people can't handle the strain of powering large machinery."

"Which makes it useless." Little muttered bitterly.

"I wouldn't say that." I disagreed, making him look at me in surprise, "It would make a good source of last resort energy, and, while it can't be used to power large machinery, like a Bone Buggy, and could be used to power smaller devices."

The Professor thought to himself. "Like…a hand-held drill?" he asked. When I nodded, his eyes lit up again, this time with a flood of new ideas generated by his genius inventor's mind. He then hugged me tightly before rushing off to alter the engine's blueprints. I picked up Roland and took him to the kitchen, where he could more easily access the food.

As he dug into the buffet provided for him, with Nate eating beside him and Penny fussing as she always did, I sat in the corner of the kitchen, watching them contentedly. Nibbles, who had returned from the Garage, reported to me that the mechanics were fixing the door on Roland's Heavy Hauler. I thanked him and, after ordering the small vivosaur to bring the calorie-burning engine to Professor Little, turned back to see Roland looking at me in confusion.

"What happened to the door on my Bone Buggy?" he asked me somewhat-warily.

"I destroyed it." I answered casually. At the gawking stares I was receiving, I arched an eye ridge. "Remember what happens when I get impatient? The doors on the Neo Black Whale?" Nate and Roland shuddered at that memory.

"You destroyed my door like that?!" Roland exclaimed.

"Well, not exactly." I hummed as I thought back, "Those doors I'd punched to cave them in, while your door I'd ripped off and thrown somewhere. So not exactly the same way, but you do need a new door. I'll pay for it, don't worry."

Nate whistled, shaking his head as he went back to eating. Roland started eating again after assuring me that he wasn't mad at me for destroying his Bone Buggy's door. Penny, finding nothing to do, sat next to me and sighed, resting her head on my shoulder. I wrapped a wing around her, letting her rest as the adrenaline left her body.

"Tired?" I asked knowingly. Penny nodded, pulling my wing around herself as she would a blanket.

"Are you okay, Penny?" Nate asked, looking at her worriedly.

When it was clear Penny wouldn't respond, I did it for her. "She's fine. I think her adrenaline rush has finally ended. Fear and panic are very tiring emotions."

"I'm sorry, Penny." Roland apologized sincerely, "I didn't mean to scare you all."

I shook my head. "I'm at fault here as well. I should've stopped you, if not before we left, then before you lost that much weight."

Now it was Penny's turn to shake her head, grabbing one of my clawed hands the moment she heard the guilt in my voice. "It wasn't your fault, Tria. He should've known better than to attempt something as dangerous and stupid as that." When Roland shrank back from the scolding tone the blond girl had sent his way, she addressed him directly. "You should consider yourself lucky Tria was there, or you wouldn't be here now!"

"I know." Roland said, smiling at me gratefully, "Thank you, Tria. Really."

"You shouldn't thank me." I muttered, "It was a study on my body that resulted in this situation. I'm not entirely without blame."

Penny gripped my hand harder in sympathy, reassurance, and slight scolding. Roland was about to protest again, but Nate beat him to the punch.

"Hey, wait!" he exclaimed, his mouth still half-full.

"Nate!" Penny scolded him while Roland and I laughed. Nate swallowed, looking guiltily at Penny, before continuing.

"That weird machine was based on your metabolism, right?" he asked me. When I nodded, he continued, "So why aren't you always as skinny as Roland got?"

Roland looked at me as well, his curiosity engaged, and Penny lifted her head from my shoulder to look at me as I answered.

"I would be, if I kept going for too long without eating, but I have a few adaptations that keep that from happening." When I saw I had their attention, I held up my other hand, the one Penny wasn't holding, and, counting on my fingers, explained, "First of all, I'm not using up my energy at the same constant rate like that engine was. As I told Professor Little, the rate at which your strength was being drained was the equivalent of me fighting a tough battle for, oh, five to ten minutes. Battles don't usually last that long. Second," I started when I saw the comments rising in their throats, "Even in battle, the energy cost isn't constant. For instance, it takes more energy for me to use my moves, like Angel's Fire or Blinding Strike, than to just use my teeth and claws. The drain on Roland was the equivalent of me using my moves, and, unlike when I battle, that strain was constant, making it much more dangerous."

"I see…" Roland muttered in thought.

"But we've seen you use your moves before, and you weren't in nearly as bad a state as Roland." Penny pointed out, still playing with my claws.

"That's because I've been trained from birth to handle and control my power." I explained, "The engine Roland used just took as much energy as it could and sent it into another body: the Bone Buggy. When I use my energy, I regulate it, only releasing as much as necessary or, if I'm angry, as much as I can afford to lose." I looked at Roland directly. "You aren't used to having so much energy drained so directly, so you had no way to regulate how much you lost, which resulted in you losing all of it."

We were quiet for a while after my explanations, with Roland eating, Nate relaxing at the table, and Penny dozing off against my side. Nate then joined me and Penny on the floor, sitting on my other side and examining me closely.

"What?" I asked in mild annoyance when Nate started poking at my side and stomach. Penny lifted her head, startled by my sudden voice, and glared at Nate for making me wake her up.

"Do you have ANY fat on you, Tria?" he asked, somewhat in awe, as he poked around my ribs, "Fat's usually squishy, but I can't feel anything like that on you! All I feel is muscle!"

Penny lost her glare to a look of sudden curiosity, and she wrapped her arms around me in what was nothing like a hug; it was a way to feel around my torso.

"You're right!" she exclaimed, staring at me with wide eyes, "How do you live without any fat, especially with how many times you've skipped eating?"

I sighed, about to respond, but I stopped when I heard a pair of footsteps approach us, both recognizable.

"Well, this is quite a sight." Elric chuckled as Nibbles growled at seeing what appeared to be me being pinned down by my friends, "I'd heard what happened to Roland, but why are you all over Tria?"

Penny turned bright red and let go, seeming to have only just realized what she'd been doing. Nate, the King of Awkward, wasn't so easily fazed.

"Tria has no fat on her!" he said, continuing to poke at my side and stomach, "We're trying to find out why."

Elric gave me a perplexed look, only to burst out laughing at my expression. He shook his head as Nibbles rolled his eyes, chuckling as he answered for me.

"Oh, she does have a fat storage." he replied, walking up to me and helping me up, "You're just looking in the wrong place."

Penny, Nate, and Roland glanced at each other, Roland even stopping his binge-eating to pay attention.

"When humans store energy in their bodies, it gathers in many places. Hips, stomach, chest, upper arms and legs, etc... Dinaurians, however, are different. For one thing, their metabolisms don't allow for the softer fat you're used to; it'd be burned in seconds. The fat they store is much denser, making it feel harder than expected, and, unlike the multiple storage areas in humans, dinaurians only store the fat in one place, which is another reason for its density."

"Wow…" Penny whispered.

"So where's the fat on you, Tria?" Nate asked, looking me over.

"What an awkward question." I mumbled, glaring at Elric. He just laughed, slinging his arm around my shoulders in an apparent gesture of friendship. I knew what it actually was, however, and took his bait, swinging my tail at his side. As expected, he caught it, holding up the muscular appendage.

"Right here." he said to the three gawking stares directed at both of us, "Much like the dinosaurs and vivosaurs, dinaurians store energy in their tails. It's less in the way, and can even be used as an advantage. It's also harder to burn, which makes it a more effective reserve, since it would be used up in no time otherwise."

"Whoa…" Roland whispered as Penny and Nate approached me. Penny examined my tail visually, modest enough not to touch something so close to my butt. Nate, in all his social grace, was not so modest. He picked up my tail and squeezed at it without hesitation, eyes widening further in awe.

"This is SO cool!" he yelled, turning to Penny, "Hey, Penny! Check this out! It's almost as hard as her muscles!"

"Nate! You can't just grab her tail like that! It's rude!" Penny cried in embarrassment.

Elric chuckled again, finding their reactions amusing. "You know when I said the fat stored in her tail could be used to her advantage? Do you want to see how?"

Roland, who'd started eating again, paused to look at us. "How?" he asked.

"Like…for flying and stuff?" Penny offered, not quite a suggestion.

"Very astute of you, Penny. The tail does act as a counterbalance when Tria moves at high speeds." Elric praised the girl before adding, "However, there is another use her tail has that the dense fat storage helps with." He looked at me, grinning impishly. "If you would, Tria?"

I glanced sideways at my childhood friend, then shifted my gaze to the pink-haired boy still playing with my tail, and sighed.

"Yeah, sure." I answered, lifting my tail from Nate's hands. I then swung it around, narrowly avoiding Nate's head, and swatted his behind, causing him to flop onto the floor.

"Ow! My poor butt! Ow ow oweee!" Nate cried, flailing on the floor as he tried to grab his sore butt. I just thumped my tail on the floor to emphasize the point made.

"I told you it was rude to mess with her tail." Penny scolded her teammate unsympathetically.

"Still, that sounded like it hurt." Roland muttered, shuddering at the sight of his friend groaning on the floor, "Is that the other use?"

"That's right." Elric replied, kneeling to pick up my tail again, "Tria's tail is used for fat storage, but it's also very muscular. The dense fat makes the tail heavier, which in turn makes it not only an effective counterbalance, but a powerful weapon as well."

"You're telling me…" Nate whimpered as Penny helped him up.

"Hey, Elric." Roland said hesitantly, "If Tria doesn't like people touching her tail, why is she letting you?"

"Who said I don't like people touching my tail?" I asked, annoyed at the assumption, "I actually don't particularly care. It's basically another limb, like an arm or leg."

"Then why'd you hit me?" Nate whined.

"Imagine if someone came up to you and started playing with your arm like it was a curious new toy. It gets rather annoying."

Nate looked at the floor, muttering a pitiful apology, while Penny gave him an 'I-told-you-so' look. I chuckled easily, glancing at Elric.

"By the way, Elric, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Elric's eyes widened in recollection. "Ah, yes. I have a favor to ask of you."

I arched an eye ridge. "Oh? What is it?"

"I would like you to travel to a certain dig site with me. I have some unfinished business to attend to, and I could use some help."

"Sure. Why not?" I agreed, understanding what the 'certain dig site' was, "Let's go."

"Wait, you guys are heading out now?!" Penny exclaimed, "It's already getting dark! Can't you wait until tomorrow?"

"Don't worry, Penny." I replied, "Elric and I have worked at night before. We'll be fine."

"Where are you guys going?" Roland asked.

Elric and I shared a glance and a laugh. "A certain dig site." we said in unison, walking out of the kitchen. Nibbles made to follow us, but his stomach then growled loudly. I insisted he stay and get something to eat while Elric and I headed out. We then walked into the deserted Garage, the usual crowds gone with the setting sun, and sped through the portal, Elric activating a new path within it from his place on my back. As we burst forth into the site, I transformed into my battle form, soaring high over the sleeping world lit only by the large moon and the ancient stars.


	18. The Good Old Days

I flew over the ancient world of the Cretaceous Period, breathing deeply of the clean air, untouched by the pollution of human activity. There was a slight volcanic scent, but the volcano itself was quiet, making the smell bearable. I flew over the land without much direction, simply enjoying myself.

"We did come here for a reason, Tria." Elric reminded me from his spot on my back, "Let's not forget that."

" _I remember, Elric._ " I growled, rumbling deeply so that he felt my words more than he heard them. Elric laughed, patting my neck as he took hold of my mane.

"Just making sure you don't lose yourself in the fun." he said pacifyingly, still laughing.

After circling the sleeping volcano, some smoke rising from its summit, I landed on a cliff overlooking the clearing that held the real reason for our visit: the Super Braindrainer and my original Digger's Rig.

"We need to clear this wreckage. If it's found, it could disrupt the entire flow of the space-time continuum." Elric said, glaring at the machines in annoyance.

" _But it would seem we have a problem._ " I completed his thought, looking at the machine with detached disinterest. Or, rather, at the creature standing in front of the machines.

"Grrr." the T-rex growled, standing protectively in front of the machines as its claimed treasures.

"I don't suppose its leaving anytime soon, either." Elric muttered, eyes narrowing in annoyance, "Think you can chase it away, Tria?"

" _Easily._ " I snarled, looking forward to some fun. I leapt up and placed myself between the T-rex and the machines, forcing the large carnivorous dinosaur back. The T-rex roared at us, enraged, and charged. I crouched down, letting Elric slide to the ground, before standing protectively in front of him.

"Hold it off, Tria!" Elric ordered me, "I'll clean this stuff up! Just keep that thing away!"

" _Roger that!_ " I replied, opening my jaws and releasing my Divine Mist onto the dinosaur.

The T-rex stopped, swaying a bit as it inhaled the mind-altering vapor before staggering into one of the cliff walls, looking drunk. I narrowed my golden eyes and charged, knocking the T-rex to the ground. As I stood back and watched it struggle to stand, content to let it stay like that, I noticed something annoying. A pack of T-rexes, a group of young siblings sticking together for safety, were approaching, attracted by the commotion in the clearing. They saw the older carnivore lying on the ground, vulnerable, and charged forward, driven by instinct to dispose of any competition they could.

I roared, a clear threat to the young predators, and jumped in front of the older dinosaur. I spread my wings in an effort to intimidate the young predators. The youngsters stopped, inexperience not letting them recognize the bluff, but they were stubborn and eager to get rid of the older predator, and continued their charge in hopes that I would back down from their combined might. I did not back down, opening my jaws and unleashing Heaven's Call, stunning the group. With the light of my Blinding Strike, my perceived size increased further, and the young predators began to back away from me, out of the clearing. Once they were far enough from the entrance, I knocked down a tree and blasted it with Angel's Fire. With the entrance blocked, I leapt back over to stand in front of Elric again, watching the still-confused T-rex while he worked on clearing the wreckage.

Finally, when the Mist's effect wore off, the T-rex got to her feet and looked at me, wariness in her eyes. I made no move against her, only reacting to Elric when he tapped my leg.

"Come on, Tria." he said to me. I looked down at him, taking note of the large bag slung over his shoulder. The area behind us was empty, the Digger's Rig and Super Braindrainer dismantled and packed away in the Fossil Bag brought here from our home time, when fighters had to carry fossil rocks around with them on foot. "We're done here."

" _Right._ " I purred, crouching down to allow Elric onto my back again. I then turned to the T-rex and gave her a parting growl before launching myself into the air, soaring over the ancient world once more.

"You know her?" Elric asked me.

" _Sort of._ " I replied vaguely, not offering any more explanation. Elric gave me a skeptical glare, but knew he wasn't getting anything more out of me, so he simply steered me toward the time gate without comment. When I groaned in disappointment, he laughed.

"You want to play some more, don't you?" he said, not really asking. When I snorted, he laughed again and let me land on a nearby cliff. "Then how about we hang out here for a while? I've actually been wanting to test something since your revival."

I looked at him, my expression shifting from confusion to excitement when I saw what he meant. I nuzzled him happily before letting him off on the cliff and jumping to the ground below. I faced my friend joyfully as I howled to the ancient night sky, feelings of carefree joy filling my heart and stoking the fire within as I prepared for battle.


	19. Nightmare

By the time Elric and I returned to Fossil Park Asia, it was the middle of the night. We entered the Fossil Center, Elric heading to his room immediately to rest. I took the bag of wreckage we'd retrieved from the ancient world to Professor Little's lab, leaving a note with it explaining what it was and letting him decide what to do with it. I then yawned and wandered around the Fossil Center, looking for a place to sleep. Even though my 'official' room is Elric's, I tend to move about, sleeping wherever I happen to feel like it, even going to the other Fossil Parks when they suited me.

Looking into Nate and Roland's room to check on how they were doing, I saw Roland sleeping peacefully. It would take a while for him to regain the weight he'd lost with the reckless stunt he'd pulled, but at least he was no longer in danger. Nate was sleeping in his own bed, seeming to be unconsciously avoiding putting any pressure on his butt. Wonder why.

I then noticed that there was a third person in the room. Penny had brought a sleeping bag into the room and was sleeping there, likely so she could take care of Roland while he recovered. How typical of her. Noting this, I went to Penny's room to check on her roommate, Mei Lian. And it was a good thing I did.

The moment I entered the darkened room, I could tell something was wrong. Mei Lian was lying in her bed, asleep, but she was anything but peaceful. In fact, she was thrashing about violently, as if trying to fight off an unseen enemy, but her face held very little anger. Instead, desperation and fear were the dominant emotions displayed there, with an increasing amount of sorrow as the nightmare progressed. I approached her bed, careful of her flying kicks and punches as I reached out to her.

"Get off!" she yelled suddenly, causing me to jump back and wrap my wings around myself instinctively. At first I thought she was responding to me touching her, but then she continued, "Leave her alone! Get away from Tria! I won't let you hurt her!" She started clawing at the air ferociously, but tears started streaming from her eyes as her distress increased. "Tria!"

"Mei Lian!" I yelled, shaking her, ignoring strikes from her still-flailing arms, "Mei Lian! I'm right here! Wake up!"

Mei Lian shook violently before her eyes shot open and she sat up abruptly, looking around frantically until her eyes met mine.

"Tria!" she cried, grabbing my shoulders and looking me over, eyes straining in the low light, "You're alive! But how? You were just-"

"I'm fine, Mei Lian." I said, holding her shoulders more gently, "It was just a dream. You were having a bad dream."

Mei Lian looked at me, assessing the situation. She then broke down and latched her arms around me, burying her face in my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her in return, sitting on her bed and arranging her in my lap so I could wrap my wings around her as well.

"Tria!" Mei Lian sobbed, clutching at me, "It was…they were everywhere! They swarmed you! And you…" She trailed off, nuzzling the crook of my neck in search of comfort. I ran my claws through her long purple hair, purring soothingly to the distressed girl.

"It's all right, Mei Lian." I whispered to her, "There is no swarm. And if there was, we'd all deal with it. I've dealt with many enemies at once before, and I've made it out every time."

Mei Lian didn't verbally reply, but I could feel her sigh against my neck, a faint smile appearing at the confidence in my tone. We sat there for a little while, comforting and relaxed, before Mei Lian began to calm down.

"What was swarming me?" I asked once she'd stopped trembling. She tensed, her breath catching in her throat. I continued stroking a hand through her hair and over her back, so she answered.

"It was…those damned long-clawed creatures. Like the one he used."

"He?" I repeated, the realization dawning on me, "You mean Kowloon?"

Mei Lian started trembling again, this time with rage. "Grr…I'm so mad right now!" she growled, "Ever since I lost to that guy, I haven't been training at my best. And now I'm having these stupid nightmares. I'm sick of it!"

"I understand." I sighed into the girl's hair, "I feel that sometimes, after a traumatic loss." I looked at her, the light from my eyes illuminating her face. "So, what do you want to do about it? Do you have any ideas?"

Mei Lian's gaze drifted downward and became vacant as she thought. I waited patiently, continuing to play with her hair as my tail thumped lazily against the bed.

"…Train." she whispered, arms tightening around me. I looked back at her and she met my gaze unflinchingly, the fire she's so known for returning to her eyes. "I need to train. I need to face off against vivosaurs similar to the one Kowloon used again and again until I can forget about my past defeat!" She then looked down again. "But I don't know if it'll be enough. I can't fight vivosaurs on my own like you can. I can only fight through V-raptor, and he hasn't suffered the humiliating defeat I have." I caught V-raptor's growl from his Dino Gear, the protest clear to my sensitive ears.

"I don't think V-raptor agrees." I said, relaying the vivosaur's words, "He's connected to you, and he feels your pain. Your loss is his loss, if not more so."

Mei Lian perked up, eyes darting to where her partner's Dino Gear lay. "Really?" she asked. When I nodded, she looked confused. "But why? I'm the one who got beaten up."

"And he's the one who's supposed to protect you." I replied for the raptor, "No matter how tough a fighter is, in the end, you're still human. You're not as strong as a vivosaur, so the vivosaurs you command feel it's their duty to protect you. When the fighter gets hurt, the vivosaur feels like it failed in its duty."

"Really?" she asked again, not quite able to wrap her mind around the fact. She'd been so used to dealing with everything by herself, she couldn't believe that her vivosaur was willing to help her, even outside of battle. She reached over and grabbed his Dino Gear, smiling down at him.

"V-raptor." she whispered, holding him close, "I'm sorry I put you through that. We'll get over this together, I promise." V-raptor purred in response.

"I have an idea for your training." I said, sitting back and crossing my arms. Mei Lian looked at me, her attention gained, and V-raptor growled curiously. "You need to face therizinosaurs, the long-clawed vivosaurs like Kowloon's Zinodious, but you need to be personally involved in the battles, too, since you suffered a direct defeat at Kowloon's hands and claws. You can't fight vivosaurs on your own, but I do have a way for you to fight directly while not fighting alone."

"How?!" she practically yelled in my ear. I flinched away, resisting the urge to bark back when I replied.

"Tomorrow." I said, making the excited girl lie back down, "We'll start tomorrow. In the meantime, get some rest."

"But I'm not tired!" Mei Lian argued, trying to sit back up, "We can start right now!"

"No." I whispered, leaning down right next to her face, "For now, you need rest. I will wake you in the morning when your training is ready to begin."

Mei Lian tried to argue further, but her words were slurred and jumbled as her eyelids became heavy. V-raptor gave a tired growl from his Dino Gear. I lay him back on the nightstand and pulled the covers over his sleeping fighter. I then backed away, watching the faint mist disperse from the duo. I smiled guiltily and, after sending a message to Stryker about my plan, curled up on the floor and inhaled some of my own mist, the confusing effect allowing my tired body and mind to slip into sleep, just as it had with Mei Lian and V-raptor.


	20. Joint Training

Mei Lian and I walked into the Stadium in Fossil Park Asia, the arena empty except for Liu Ren, just as I had requested of Stryker the night before. Mei Lian had woken up somewhat confused, a common side-effect of inhaling even a small amount of my Divine Mist, but I didn't mention that, knowing the tail-kicking I'd get from multiple people if I did. She was holding two Dino Gears, her signature V-raptor and a new vivosaur she was raising: Allo PT, a genetic variant of Allo that had developed sometime between my home era and this one. We stood on one side of the Stadium while Liu Ren stood on the other, holding six Dino Gears and three metal cubes, all provided by me earlier that morning. They held our opponents.

"All right, Tria." Mei Lian said impatiently, crossing her arms as she turned to me, "What kind of training do you have in mind? And why is Liu Ren here?"

"Tria asked for my assistance." Liu Ren said through the hand-held radios we had, "I am always happy to help train others, you know."

"He also has a favor to ask of me, but he agreed to help with your training first." I added, smirking at the elder leader. Before either human could focus on that fact, I addressed Mei Lian again, "Let's get started, shall we? Release your vivosaurs, Mei Lian."

Mei Lian looked at me suspiciously, but did as I asked, releasing V-raptor and Allo PT from their Dino Gears. They both looked down at us, and I lifted my hands to them, letting them touch their muzzles to my palms in affirmation of their loyalty to me as well as to their fighter. I nodded to them before returning to Mei Lian and kneeling in front of her.

"Get on." I ordered the smaller girl, earning me a confused glare.

"You want me to get on your back?" she asked incredulously. When I nodded, she sighed and shrugged. "All right, whatever. I don't know how this'll help me, but-WHOA!"

Her rambling was cut off as I activated my battle form, growing larger than Allo PT. Mei Lian gripped my mane tightly, swaying slightly as she got used to the sensation.

"Whoa! This is awesome!" Mei Lian yelled happily, "I didn't know your battle form was so big!"

" _Remember when I fought Giganto during the Angel's Cup?_ " I asked the girl on my back. When she nodded, I continued, " _Elric spent some of that time on my back. I carry people on my back all the time, and, if the rider is skilled enough, she can fight directly from there. Which means…_ "

"I can fight, too!" Mei Lian finished, throwing her hands in the air happily, "Let's get started!"

" _As you wish._ " I growled, the deep rumble registering in her translator, " _But first, you need to be able to stay on my back. Hard to fight if you fall off with every movement I make._ "

"Oh, please! That's easy! Let's get on with training!" Mei Lian yelled, confident and impatient in equal measures.

" _Is it, now?_ " I hissed knowingly, standing up straighter. I then side-stepped slightly, knocking Mei Lian off balance and sending her rushing downward. I caught her before she hit the ground and let her climb onto my back again.

"No fair…" she complained, "You caught me off guard…"

" _Most attacks will._ " I informed her, eyeing her with a golden gaze, " _You must be able to adjust in a second to any situation. That's how you will become a better fighter._ " I looked at Mei Lian's vivosaurs. " _Are you two ready?_ "

" _Yeah!_ " Allo PT roared excitedly, ready for his training.

" _We'll tear this place apart!_ " V-raptor declared confidently, flexing his claws.

" _All right, then._ " I growled, facing Liu Ren. I raised my wing, signaling to the Asian leader. At my signal, Liu Ren threw the three metal cubes onto the field, releasing the Dinomatons to face us.

"We're facing those weird machines?" Mei Lian asked, "I thought we were fighting vivosaurs like what Kowloon used?"

" _We are._ " I replied, " _These things are easier to control, which makes them good for practice. Plus, take another look at them. What vivosaurs do they resemble?_ "

Mei Lian looked critically at the Dinomatons, her gray eyes widening in recognition. "They look like Kowloon's vivosaur!"

I nodded. " _That's right. They're therizinosaurs. Like Zinodious._ " I looked back at the girl on my back again. " _Are you ready, Mei Lian?_ "

Mei Lian nodded, gripping my mane again and latching her legs around my neck. After commanding two of the Dinomatons to fight V-raptor and Allo PT, Mei Lian and I faced off against the third. I took my battle stance, the tension entering the air putting Mei Lian in the mindset needed to fight.

I lunged, slowly by my standards but easily fast enough to evade the swipe from the Dinomaton's copper claws. I swiped at it with my own obsidian claws, sending it staggering backward. A pained roar drew Mei Lian's attention to another battle.

"Allo PT!" she yelled as the larger carnivore was thrown to the ground. She then swayed off balance and gripped my mane tightly to keep from falling off again. I deflected the Dinomaton's attack with my wing and jumped back.

" _Focus, Mei Lian!_ " I roared at her, the ferocity of battle sharpening my tone, " _You can't pay attention to other battles yet!_ _You have to learn how to fight on my back first!_ " At the hurt, conflicted look she gave me, I added in a gentler tone, " _Once you get hang of fighting on my back, you can focus on the others too, but you need to take things one step at a time._ " Before she could protest, I assured, " _Don't worry. V-raptor and Allo PT will be fine. Dinomatons look tough, but they're actually pretty weak. They won't be able to defeat your vivosaurs._ "

Mei Lian smiled at the compliment, focusing again on our fight and trusting her vivosaurs to win their own battles. I lunged again at the Dinomaton we were facing, dodging another attack and countering with my wing, slamming into its neck with the powerful limb. With the robot shaken, I turned to Mei Lian again.

" _Now, Mei Lian! Aim a kick right at its head!_ "

Mei Lian flinched, startled and hesitant, but one look into my confidence gaze pushed her forward. With a quick nod, she launched herself from my back and hit the Dinomaton with her signature kick. To her obvious surprise, the Dinomaton caved, collapsing and reverting back into a cube.

"I…I did it…? I did it!" Mei Lian cheered triumphantly before realizing her place suspended in the air and screaming as she fell. I swiftly moved under her, catching the girl on my back.

"Well done, Mei Lian!" Liu Ren said from the other side of the field, clearly impressed, "You certainly have improved."

"I know, right! I'm the BEST!" Mei Lian agreed as I collected the cubes of the Dinomatons, all of which had been defeated, and returned them to Liu Ren.

" _Yes, you are getting stronger._ " I purred, handing the cubes to Liu Ren before returning to the other side of the field, " _But remember, that was just a practice round. Now we start your training for real._ "

"Yeah!" Mei Lian, "Let's do this!"

The next two rounds were more difficult for the fighter and the vivosaurs. The first round had us facing three Alxas collected from Paradise Beach. The Fire-type therizinosaurs weren't at a high rank, but their type advantage still posed a threat to V-raptor. They tried to gang up on the smaller vivosaur, but Allo PT rushed to defend his friend, his Tail Strike throwing them back. I then lunged at them, knocking two of them back with my wings while Mei Lian stunned the third with a punch to the face. V-raptor tore at one with a vengeance, sending it retreating back to its Dino Gear. Allo PT defeated another by almost crushing its neck, and the third disappeared with a flick of my tail. In the second round, this time facing three Segno, I took a more claws-off approach, letting Mei Lian put more effort into commanding her vivosaurs while I assisted with my long-range attack, Angel's Fire.

Once the last Segno disappeared to escape V-raptor's claws, we started to relax. Mei Lian seemed pleased, swaying happily on my back, which she'd not only adjusted to, but also seemed to enjoy. V-raptor and Allo PT were tired but satisfied, disappearing and returning to their fighter.

I then tensed suddenly, a threatening growl escaping my throat as I turned to the one person in the audience. Mei Lian jolted, startled out of her triumphant elation, and turned to look in the same direction that I was. Her eyes then narrowed into a dangerous glare when she saw who I'd seen. Liu Ren noticed as well and took a battle stance.

"This looks like fun. Mind if I cut in?" the sinister voice chuckled from the stands.

"YOU! You villainous dog!" Mei Lian roared, gripping my mane tightly with rage.

" _Kowloon…_ " I hissed viciously.

"What are you doing here?!" Liu Ren exclaimed in surprise. Kowloon chuckled again.

"I heard something interesting was going on here. Thought I'd come see for myself." He jumped onto the edge of the stands, grinning excitedly. "Well then, shall we begin?"

I could feel Mei Lian trembling on my back. I glanced back at her, getting ready to crouch down to let her off, but then I felt her legs grip my neck and saw the determined glare in her eyes.

"I'm not scared of you, Kowloon!" she roared at him, "I'm gonna take you down once and for all!"

" _Are you sure about this, Mei Lian?_ " I growled to her, " _This isn't training. This is the real deal._ "

"I know that!" she barked at me. When I flinched, her eyes briefly softened and she wrapped her arms around my neck. "I don't have to be scared. Not as long as I have you, Tria. You give me the power to FIGHT! And WIN!" She looked up at me and smiled, the sincerity in her words reflected in her eyes along with absolute faith in my abilities. I smiled back, nuzzling the girl with my muzzle and making her giggle happily.

" _You can do it, Mei Lian!_ " I purred confidently, turning back to our opponent to find him glaring at us.

"If you two are finished, let's get started!" he growled viciously, releasing his Zinodious and two other Zino. He then jumped onto Zinodious' back and stood there in an aggressive battle stance, the three therizinosaurs mimicking him.

My eyes narrowed as I prepared to fight, V-raptor and Allo PT standing next to me as Mei Lian also stood up to face her enemy. Liu Ren, at my wordless order, stayed back, ready to seize Kowloon if necessary.

The first two Zino charged at me, following Kowloon's orders, but V-raptor and Allo PT intercepted them, grabbing onto the Neutral-type vivosaurs' necks and refusing to let go. While they kept each other busy, I charged at Zinodious and Kowloon, jaws open and teeth bared as I roared. Mei Lian added her voice to mine, no sign of mercy in her battle cry. As we collided, Zinodious and I exchanging blows, Mei Lian and Kowloon faced off.

"Do you really think you can beat me?" Kowloon snarled condescendingly.

"I don't think I can beat you! I WILL beat you!" Mei Lian barked back.

"Heh heh heh." Kowloon laughed, lunging at the smaller girl, "Such confidence. We'll see how much of that is valid!"

He and Mei Lian struck at each other, neither willing to yield, before jumping back to their partners as Zinodious and I separated.

"Who do you think you're fooling?" Kowloon called to the girl, "You don't even know how to properly fight alongside your partner! How could you ever hope to beat me?!"

"Shut up, Kowloon!" Mei Lian yelled back, "What do you know about fighting in a team?!"

"Obviously more than you do." he growled in response as Zinodious lunged forward. Kowloon readied his claws and slashed at Mei Lian, causing the girl to lose her balance and fall. As I moved to stop her fall, Zinodious slashed at my legs, causing me to fall, too. I grabbed Mei Lian in my forearms to keep her from hitting the ground, but that left me vulnerable to the claws on the dark vivosaur's toes. He raked them across my exposed flank, delivering three shallow gashes before staggering backward from the crack of my tail between his eyes.

"Tria! You're hurt!" Mei Lian cried, staring at the gashes on my side.

" _Don't worry about me, Mei Lian!_ " I growled back, placing her on my back again, " _You need to focus on this fight! You have to win!_ "

Mei Lian was quiet, her hair hiding her eyes, before I heard her whisper, "No…"

" _What?_ " I barked, a little more harshly than intended, as I looked back at her incredulously.

"No." she said, more loudly this time, the fire in her eyes burning into mine, "WE have to win!"

My eyes widened as my gaze locked with my rider's, stunned by her words. I then grinned and nodded, the rush of heat illuminating my scales as her fire fueled mine. We then faced our opponents again, eyes burning with the same flame, the same desire driving us forward. The desire to win!

Kowloon and Zinodious both tensed at the sudden change in our demeanors, ready to counter again. Zinodious slashed at my legs again in an attempt to trip me, but the attack was blocked by a kick from Mei Lian. Kowloon jumped from his dark partner's back, his own kick aiming for Mei Lian's head, but he soon found his leg caught in my jaws. I tossed him away, leading Zinodious to leap away as well to catch his fighter in his claws. Kowloon quickly jumped back onto the vivosaur's back, but Mei Lian and I were quicker.

"It's over, Kowloon!" Mei Lian roared as her foot made solid contact with the side of her rival's head, sending him crashing to the ground. Zinodious snarled furiously, raising his claws to rip the girl to shreds, but my Angel's Fire engulfed him, sending him fleeing into his Dino Gear with a pained whimper. It rolled to a halt next to his unconscious fighter.

"I did it! I did it! I beat Kowloon!" Mei Lian cheered excitedly, hopping around on the ground as her vivosaurs returned to her and I reverted back to my usual form.

"You sure did." I rumbled, my enthusiasm overshadowed by a lingering feeling of…pity might be the best word for it. At the jealousy and longing in his eye when he saw the friendly interaction between me and Mei Lian before our fight began.

"Still, I wasn't expecting Kowloon to actually show up." Liu Ren muttered from over my shoulder, "He'd disappeared after his defeat on the Neo Black Whale, and we hadn't been able to locate him. Why would he suddenly show up here?"

"Who cares?" Mei Lian dismissed the thought, continuing her triumphant high, "I THRASHED him! Yaaaaay me!"

"That you did, Mei Lian." I said, smiling at the excited girl. I would let her enjoy her long-awaited victory for a while. I was then startled by the girl's sudden mood shift as she just about pounced on me in spontaneous embrace.

"And I couldn't have done it without you by my side, Tria." she spoke into my ear, pulling back to look at me, "You rule!"

"I'm glad to help!" I said, flicking my tail happily as I matched her grin.

"I find myself liking you more and more all the time, Tria! Let's be besties forevs!" Mei Lian declared, hugging me again. I returned her embrace.

"I'd like that." I whispered, holding the smaller girl tightly. In that position, I easily caught her when her legs suddenly gave out.

"What the hell?!" Mei Lian cried, drawing the attention of Liu Ren, who had just finished handing Kowloon off to Hanzo to take him to the Park's jail. He rushed over to us.

"Mei Lian?! What happened?!" he exclaimed, kneeling next to us.

"My legs!" Mei Lian cried, holding on to me as she tried to get up, only to fall again, "They feel like they've been turned to jelly! What's going on?!"

"I think your body just realized what it's done and how much energy it took." I replied, my calm tone reassuring the panicking Wardens, "Your muscles used up all their strength during your training, so now they're tired and need rest. You'll be sore tomorrow, but you'll be fine. I'll guide you in stretching later, but right now, you should rest in your room." I knelt in front of my Paleo Pal, letting her climb onto my back again, and turned to Liu Ren. "Once I make sure Mei Lian's comfortable, I'll join you in your office. Sound good?"

"Of course." Liu Ren agreed, smiling with relief that nothing too negative had resulted from the former BR lieutenant's sudden appearance and attack.

"Aw, man." Mei Lian whined as I walked out of the Stadium and entered the Fossil Center, "I hate having to rest. I should be training!"

"All the training in the world won't do you any good if you end up destroying your body in the process." I reminded her, "Remember what I told you making the best of a situation you can't control?"

"I'll be a better Warden…" she muttered as I lay her down on her bed under the covers. She looked up at me. "You'll visit later?" she asked.

"Of course I will." I replied, smiling gently, "Remember, I need to show you how to stretch out those muscles so they don't get too tight. It's a common issue when first learning to fight on my back."

Mei Lian smiled, either satisfied with my answer or too tired to respond, and went to sleep with the peaceful smile still on her face. I smiled to myself and left the room, quietly closing the door behind me. I then headed for Liu Ren's office, already knowing what he needed help with.


	21. Wrath of the Earth Dragon

"Ah, Tria. I've been waiting for you." Liu Ren greeted me, looking then at the ground, "And hello to you too, Nibbles."

" _Sup._ " Nibbles replied casually from his place next to me. He'd met me on my way to Liu Ren's office, and, after hearing why I was there, decided to join me.

"Well, let's get down to business." Liu Ren continued, getting straight to the point to emphasize the importance of the task before us, "I've been concerned about the Earth Dragon. It's been acting strangely recently. I would like you to check on it with me. You seem to have a way of reasoning with it, and the Earth Dragon may be stronger than when we first fought it, so a second set of eyes could be helpful." At the growl from next to me, Liu Ren added, "And a third set of eyes would be even better."

"I'm in." I said, with Nibbles snorting in agreement.

"Thank you very much." Liu Ren said to me, reaching into a drawer in his desk and taking out a familiar green jewel, "Let's be off."

"That's the original jewel, isn't it?" I asked as he led us out to the Garage for his Bone Buggy.

"That's right." Liu Ren answered as he drove through the portal to Lantern Lake, "Now that the Cosmonium has been extracted, I think returning it shouldn't be a problem."

"It would probably be wise." I replied, flying next to the silver Rock Crusher, "I did promise the Dragon that we'd return it once we'd gotten what we needed from it. It probable wants its original jewel back. It had only accepted the replacement jewel grudgingly once I'd explained the situation to it."

"That would make sense." Liu Ren muttered as we entered the cave. As we drove up to the restless statue, he cringed. "Look at that. Who could have imagined such a thing?"

"What's wrong?" I asked, though I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

"It seems you're right." Liu Ren mumbled, "The Dragon is rejecting the new jewel we placed in its claw. If left unchecked, who knows what kind of destruction its rage might unleash?"

"Looks like we're about to find out!" I yelled as the cave shook with a familiar rage. As the statue began to move and regain its color, Liu Ren released his two vivosaurs: the Air-type carnivore Tarbo and the Fire-type sauropod Amargo.

"It's just like before…" Liu Ren muttered gravely before commanding me, "Come, Tria! Let us pacify the beast before it's too late!"

"I'm on it!" I replied, sending out Nibbles along with my most trusted Air-type teammate, Stego. With all vivosaurs on the field, the battle began.

The Earth Dragon, its rage making it impatient, slithered forward, teeth bared menacingly. Tarbo, Amargo, and Stego, all slow-moving, stood firm to counter the attack. Nibbles, with more mobility than his teammates, darted underneath the charging Dragon and hit its stomach with an uppercut. Though not enough to fully stop the Dragon's attack, it did cause the strike to miss the other vivosaurs, leaving the Dragon in a vulnerable position.

"Tarbo! Deadly Fangs! Amargo! Drop Press!" Liu Ren commanded his two vivosaurs. Tarbo roared ferociously, grabbing onto the Dragon's snake-like body with his jaws and pulling it to the ground, where Amargo held it with his massive front feet. Nibbles also jumped onto the Dragon's back and roared.

" _Now,_ _Stego!_ "

" _Right!_ " Stego stomped her feet aggressively as the blades of wind shot from her backplates, raining down on the grounded Dragon as her three teammates jumped back.

The Dragon lay there briefly before raising its head and roaring again, the deafening noise throwing the vivosaurs back. It then lunged again, its blue jaws open.

" _Bring it on, you overgrown snake!_ " Nibbles roared challengingly, unleashing his Crimson Flames in the Dragon's face. The Earth Dragon screamed and threw its head in the air. Its whip-like tail lashed out, slamming into Nibbles' armored arms and sending him flying. As he crashed into the wall, Tarbo and Amargo pushed the Dragon back with a Shoulder Tackle and Body Check. The Dragon pushed back, managing to repulse their attacks before getting hit between the eyes by Stego's Homing Blast. It shook off the blinding effect quickly and roared again, dazing its opponents.

" _I think this has gone on long enough._ " I rumbled to myself, standing up from my place on Liu Ren's Rock Crusher. I leapt down and darted forward, past the feet of the large vivosaurs, speeding toward the Dragon.

"Tria! What are you doing?!" Liu Ren cried, more out of shock than concern. I ignored him, as I often do when in battle, and launched myself directly at the Dragon's head. It reared back and roared again, teeth flashing threateningly, but I just grinned.

" _Fool! You've left yourself wide open!_ " I laughed, charging fiery energy in my jaws as I approached, " _Angel's Fire, Compressed Blast!_ "

I then opened my mouth and fired a short blast of my Angel's Fire, the flames packed tightly into a small sphere, straight into the Dragon's gaping maw. The attack then exploded as it hit the back of its throat, sending it crashing to the cave floor. White smoke rose from its still-open mouth and a thin stream of blood flowed into the small pool surrounding the statue's usual place.

"Don't you think you went a little too far, Tria?" Liu Ren asked, sounding worried for the Dragon's life.

"It'll be fine." I replied, kneeling before the Dragon's head and stroking its muzzle, "This creature's been protecting this continent for hundreds of years. It'll take more than a little attack like this to bring it down." I looked back at the Asian leader. "Though I would suggest returning the jewel before it wakes up."

"…Yeah…" Liu Ren muttered, looking at me warily as he retrieved the jewel from his Bone Buggy. Stego returned to me as a Dino Gear and Nibbles reverted to his normal form to stand next to me.

" _Can you teach me how to do that?_ " he asked me, his emerald eyes shining with admiration.

" _How to turn your flames into a bomb?_ " I asked for confirmation, chuckling at his enthusiastic nod, " _Heh heh. Sure thing, buddy._ "

Having placed the green jewel in the Dragon's claw and retrieving the red-orange one, Liu Ren stood beside me, his vivosaurs' Dino Gears in his hands.

"We're done here." he said, looking at the Dragon, "Everything should return to normal now."

"Let's hope so." I replied, standing and walking back out of the cave as the Dragon stirred, "We don't need it throwing another temper tantrum."

Liu Ren snorted, the sound of resigned laughter, "I guess the Earth Dragon liked the original jewel more than we suspected." he said as the Dragon sniffed at the green jewel now resting in its left paw and purred, "I must have put too much emotion into my crafting of this statue. I never expected it to have such an obsessive personality."

"Yeah, but you are not at fault." I consoled the older male, "You made him during a troubling time. War has a way of bringing out the worst in anyone. Still, that obsessive personality may be beneficial for its purpose. It's good for guardians to be obsessive and possessive; it makes them more protective of that which they guard." Liu Ren nodded in agreement, heading for his Bone Buggy. That's when Nibbles tapped my leg.

" _I thought that snake is hundreds of years old._ " he stated, making Liu Ren tense suddenly, " _How could he have made it if it's that old?_ "

"Um…" Liu Ren stuttered, turning to us frantically, "I mean…that's what I WOULD be saying if I were the sage who made it! I couldn't have made it! That's just silly! I'd have to have been alive for hundreds of years! Ha ha…haaaaa…"

I burst out laughing at the man's rambling, draping a wing over his shoulders. "Relax, Liu Ren. I won't tell anyone. I'd already figured out you were much older than you appear. You have far too much knowledge and experience for even an elderly human to have gathered." I smiled reassuringly at him. "Your secret's safe with me."

Liu Ren nodded shakily. "Th-Thank you very much, Tria." He was about to get into his Rock Crusher, but was stopped again, this time by the Earth Dragon, whose head appeared suddenly right next to us. "What? You're STILL not satisfied?!" Liu Ren exclaimed to the Dragon, taking a battle stance. Nibbles snarled, preparing to transform again. I watched carefully, my tail thrashing in agitation as the Dragon eyed me warily.

" **Father.** " the Dragon's booming voice echoed off the cave walls, " **I must speak with you.** " It glanced at me again and added, " **Privately.** "

Liu Ren shifted his gaze between me and the Dragon he'd created, looking about to protest, but I just nodded to both of them.

"Then I shall head back to the Park. It'll be getting dark soon, and I have something else that needs my attention." I said, smiling at the ancient beings before me as I picked up Nibbles, "I will see you both at a later time." I then took off and flew out of the cave, evading the waterfall as I had when I'd entered. I hovered briefly outside the cave and listened before speeding toward the Park. I knew what the discussion was about, what the Dragon had sensed in me and was alerting his creator to. I'd heard all I needed in the first words from the Dragon.

" **The darkness still lies within.** "


	22. A New Alpha

My wings sliced silently through the air as I glided to the door of the Asian Fossil Center. As I set down and placed Nibbles on the ground next to me, I looked up at the building, windows lighting up with the darkening sky. I headed in with Nibbles and was met with my Asian comrades.

"Hey, Tria!" Nate greeted me.

"How's it going?" Roland asked me, his breathing slightly labored. His strength hadn't fully returned, but he was walking around on his own, which was a good sign.

"Pretty well." I replied, "Where are you all rushing off to?"

"We're going to get food." Penny answered, leading us to the kitchen, "We need to take dinner to Mei Lian. She's been in bed all day, and she woke up barely able to move."

"Oh dear." I muttered sheepishly, "I knew that was gonna happen."

The humans didn't hear me. "She wouldn't even tell me how she got hurt!" Penny cried in frustration, "She seemed happy, though. I'm not sure what to think about that…"

"Well, she IS crazy." Nate muttered to himself, only to get smacked by Penny.

"I'll go see how she's doing while you guys go get food." I said as I headed to the room I had once inhabited. Nibbles followed me.

"Tria!" Mei Lian's hyper voice greeted me as soon as I'd entered the room, "You gotta help me! I can't move!"

"I did warn you that would happen." I told her gently, sitting her up and massaging her tense shoulders and arms, "Fighting on my back takes a lot of strength, so your body will suffer a bit as it develops those muscles that aren't used as much. You'll be stronger for it, trust me."

"Yeah, yeah…" Mei Lian grumbled, following my instructions as I guided her through the stretches that would loosen the tightness in her muscles.

"Hey, Mei Lian!" Penny greeted her roommate as she, Nate, and Roland entered the room with trays of food for themselves, me, Nibbles, and Mei Lian, "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Mei Lian sighed, flexing her arms and legs that, while still sore, were easier to move. She then winced as a muscle in her shoulder spasmed before sighing again as I worked out the knot. "Tria's been helping me stretch."

"You know how to deal with this, Tria?" Roland asked me, continually amazed at the growing list of skills they didn't know I had.

"Maybe you should be a doctor." Nate said, only half-joking.

"Oh, no. I'm no doctor." I replied, still massaging Mei Lian's shoulder, letting her lean on me as I did so, "I'm just experienced with these kinds of muscles strains."

"All right!" Penny just about yelled as she slammed the plate she'd been holding onto the tray, "One of you better explain what happened NOW!"

Mei Lian looked at me from her place against my side. When I just shrugged the shoulder she wasn't leaning on, she sighed again and looked at her roommate.

"It's my training." she explained, "To get over my loss against Kowloon, I fought against vivosaurs like the one he uses, and I fought on Tria's back. We then had to face Kowloon himself, and I think I pushed myself a little too far."

"Fighting from my back is difficult and takes a lot of strength, so those who ride on my back for the first time often end up in this state." I added, "So I'm used to dealing with this kind of situation."

The three Asian Wardens were gaping at us. Roland and Nate looked pale at the thought of having to hang on to my back and facing Kowloon respectively, while Penny turned bright red at the danger Mei Lian had put herself through. Knowing we both were about to get an overprotective lecture, I stood up without even eating, propping Mei Lian with pillows to make sure she was comfortable.

"Speaking of today's events, there is something else that needs my attention. Please take care of Mei Lian." I looked at the kung fu girl. "If you forget any of the stretches, ask me. Make sure to eat well and get plenty of rest, okay?"

"You're leaving already?" Mei Lian asked, disappointed that I had moved.

"But you haven't even eaten yet!" Roland called.

"Damn, Tria. Do you ever rest?" Nate asked me, shaking his head.

"I've been resting for far too long." I dismissed with a flick of my wrist. When I saw Nibbles getting ready to follow me, I gave him his command, " _I need you to stay here, Nibbles. You need to finish eating and keep these guys from tormenting poor Mei Lian._ "

Nibbles growled in distaste, but he lay back down regardless, my authority affecting even him. The humans, having removed their translators for the night, asked me what I had told Nibbles, but I ignored them.

"Tria!" I heard Penny call after me, "Come back afterward! I'll have your food ready!"

"Thanks, Penny!" I called back, knowing the real purpose for wanting me to return. I should've known I wouldn't be able to escape a scolding from her so easily. I smiled at her protective nature. For now, though, I had something else to do, and being hungry may actually work in my favor.

Heading down the cold stone stairs leading below the Asian Fossil Center, I gasped at the stale, oppressive air of the dungeon. A bit primitive, maybe, but the Wardens only used it for temporary storage of criminals, so I dealt with its existence and focused on the real reason I was there. Even in the low light of the windowless room, I could still see the predatory human glaring at me with a wary eye, a vicious glow reddening it to match the crimson fabric covering the other one.

"So we meet again, Tria." Kowloon growled, the smirk on his face holding no joy, "You've beaten me quite hardily, I must say. Time and time and time again."

"Hello, Kowloon." I greeted the man with a snarl of my own, baring my teeth in a taunting not-grin, "Technically, it was Mei Lian who beat you this time. I only defeated your Zinodious."

"She wouldn't have managed it without you." Kowloon argued, snorting derisively, "Perhaps now would be a good time for me to take my revenge, eh? Heh heh heh."

"Is that really what you came here for?" I asked him, "I'd've thought you were smarter than that."

"Heh heh. Yeah, you got me." he said, shrugging casually. At the rattling of the chains attached to his wrists, he looked at me again. "Don't suppose you'd be willing to let me out of here, would ya? These things are really uncomfortable."

"Not until you tell me your intentions." I replied, crossing my arms and leaning against the wall, "Tell me why you're here and what you want, and I will consider your request."

At this clear suspicion, Kowloon laughed. "You're as straight-forward as ever, Tria! I like that! Reminds me of home, ya know?" He grinned at me, leaning forward and interlacing his fingers. "I have come to make a request of you."

"And what is your request?" I asked, my wariness of this man increasing my irritability.

Kowloon looked directly into my eyes, red meeting gold, and said in a deadly-serious voice, "I want you to be my alpha."

My eyes widened and I jolted in surprise at the unexpected request. "You want me to be your alpha? Why?"

Kowloon sighed, closing his eye and bowing his head, his voice inaudible to any with weaker hearing than mine. "It has been a long time since I left my pack. I thought I would be better off on my own, among the humans, but I was wrong."

"Among?" I asked, "Or above?"

Kowloon chuckled slightly. "Both, I suppose. I was young and foolish back then." He looked back up at me again. "I didn't fit in among the humans. I didn't understand their laws or the way they lived, so I found a place with the one person who accepted me without trying to change me."

"Blackraven." I growled. Kowloon nodded again.

"I followed him in hopes of finding a place in the world he was trying to create, since there's no place for me here. You saw how that turned out." When I nodded, he sighed, looking more tired and sorrowful than I'd ever seen him.

"I've been searching for my place ever since I can remember. I was raised by a pack of rogue Zino, so the way of the vivosaurs is all I know. But I'm not a vivosaur. I can't match them in power, speed, or stamina. Yet I cannot live among the humans either, since I don't know how to act like one."

"So you've turned to me, on who understands both humans and vivosaurs, for guidance." I finished for him. Kowloon shook his head.

"Not just guidance, Tria." he said, looking into my eyes with a look that would be pleading on anyone else, "I'm looking for a home. A place where I can belong. I can't join the Wardens like Olga is attempting, but I can join the ranks serving under the Commander of the Vivosaurs. I have skills in leadership and in dealing with vivosaurs, and I am loyal to those who accept me, so I'm asking you, Tria. Be my alpha." He looked at me with an almost-pained expression, likely from the sincerity he wasn't used to as he ground out, "Please."

I watched the desperate man with an amount of pity I was not expecting. I knew his life must be hard, the feeling of not belonging anywhere all-too-familiar to me, but I was not expecting him to actually ask for help. Without speaking, I approached the cell, opening it with my claws with the ease of years of picking locks (a useful skill in missions of secrecy). I then grabbed his wrists as he watched me, his years of fighting driving him to resist. However, his desire to prove his loyalty to me was stronger, and he held still as I slashed the iron restraints binding them, the ones on his ankles following shortly. I held out my hand to him, helping him stand up.

" _Follow me._ " I growled, knowing he could understand me without a translator, " _And stay low. I'm breaking the rules of the Wardens here, so we're both at risk for attack and capture. I'll take you to a digsite for now. You may return once I get things settled here._ "

" _Understood._ " Kowloon snarled back, his use of the ancient tongue almost as smooth as mine. He then looked up at the stairs leading into the Fossil Center. " _Alpha. My Zinodious…_ "

" _I'll get him._ " I growled back, " _Wait here._ " I then leapt up the stairs and slipped into the lobby. I walked into the Professor's lab and called for the dark therizinosaur. Once I heard his response, I opened the cabinet he'd been stored in. As I made my way back into the lobby, I scanned the area.

My chat with Kowloon had apparently taken longer than I'd thought. Most of the lights had been either turned off or dimmed, the Wardens having long since stopped waiting for me, and the nocturnal silence was peaceful. I saw a light coming from Penny and Mei Lian's room, but when I looked in, I saw the two girls asleep, with Nibbles curled up at the foot of Penny's bed. I smiled gently and turned off the light before returning to the anxious Kowloon.

" _We're heading out._ " my growl reached him, " _Where would you like to go?_ "

" _Autumn Garden._ " Kowloon answered immediately, grabbing Zinodious' Dino Gear as he followed me out, " _It's where I was raised. I know it like the back of my claws._ " He then looked around the parking lot and the Garage. " _Where's my Turf Shredder? I know I left it around here._ "

" _Disassembled._ " I replied simply, " _The Wardens don't want you to escape again._ " At the sight of his angry trembling, I whacked him with my tail. " _I'll get it back for you, don't worry. And even if it were still here, I wouldn't let you use it. Too much noise._ "

" _So what?_ " he growled, irritable, " _You gonna carry me on your back?_ "

" _Exactly._ " I replied, leading him through the portal before transforming into my battle form, " _You have more experience with riding on the backs of vivosaurs, so I'm assuming I don't need to go over the basics with you. Get on._ "

Kowloon looked at me, still wary and skeptical, but he grabbed onto my mane and pulled himself on to my back anyway, legs tightening around my neck automatically as his muscle memory was activated. I stood up, noting with certain satisfaction how he barely even swayed as he matched my movements easily. I then noticed him tense when I spread my wings.

" _Think you can handle flight, Kowloon?_ " I asked, glancing back at him.

" _Don't underestimate me, Tr-Alpha._ " he growled, correcting himself as he lowered his eye in a sign of submission. I chuckled.

" _Tria's fine._ " I said, smiling at him as I glided off the cliff I was standing on, " _You don't have to lower yourself for me. I only ask for your loyalty and for your assistance when needed. You don't have to hide your true self from me._ " Kowloon didn't reply, simply gripping my fur as I flew to the plateau where Hanzo and I had faced him after the Parsec Cup.

After I landed and let Kowloon off in a sheltered clearing at the back of the digsite, he released Zinodious, who automatically took an aggressive stance against me. I didn't return the aggression, simply facing the dark creature calmly. Kowloon stepped forward.

" _No, Zinodious._ " Kowloon growled to the large vivosaur, " _This is our alpha. We must work with her now._ "

Zinodious turned his blood-red eyes on his fighter, lowering his head to Kowloon's level.

" _Little brother._ " The vivosaur snarled, locking eyes with the human who'd been raised alongside him for years, " _This creature is incredibly powerful and dangerous, and she serves the Wardens. As enemies of the Wardens, what makes you think she'll really help us? She may simply be leading us into a trap. Do you really want to put your faith in one that has called you terrible and has attacked you without mercy?_ "

" _We have no choice._ " Kowloon replied harshly, " _We have nowhere else to go. Either we join forces with Tria as our alpha, or we spend the rest of our lives on the run, and I don't know about you, but I'm not going to spend the rest of my life in fear of being caught._ "

" _And I feel I must interject something here._ " I added, lowering my head to their level as well, " _I do not serve the Wardens. I am their ally, but I do not serve them. If I did, I wouldn't have freed either of you. Also, if you'll recall, I referred to Kowloon as a 'terrible human'. And he is, as are most people who are raised outside of human society._ " I smiled at both the fighter and the vivosaur gently. " _You are a terrible human, because you haven't been raised on human rules and limitations, but you are an excellent fighter, a reliable ally, and you are loyal to those who accept you. And for that, I would love for you both to serve in my ranks, and I will take care of you to the best of my abilities._ " I then reverted back to my true form, smiling up at the two taller males. " _I will let you both rest here and think about the situation more. I will check on you tomorrow to report on progress in the Fossil Parks._ "

" _Yes, Alpha._ " Kowloon affirmed, bowing his head in gratitude.

" _Whatever you say, Alpha._ " Zinodious growled, his distrust clear.

I nodded back to the dark males before flying back to the Park. Knowing I'd have to act quickly in the morning, I curled up in front of the door leading into the dungeon, ready to counter whoever came to retrieve Kowloon before they could start a panic.


	23. A Second Chance

The events of the following morning made me regret not eating the night before.

Liu Ren had come to the door where I lay, prepared to transfer Kowloon to a more secure prison. Once I told him that Kowloon was no longer in the Parks, he made to run straight to Captain Stryker for the order to track down the dangerous man, only to turn on me when I revealed not only that I knew where he was, but that I was the one who released him in the first place. He escorted me to the Captain's office, disapproval evident in every expression and movement of his body, and, after giving Stryker a quick summary of what I had done, had me stand before the Captain to explain my actions. The other two leaders were called as well, along with Elric, who, as the Captain's emissary and as my childhood friend, could serve as a mediator of sorts. I just stood in my usual reporting place, as calm as ever.

"All right, Tria." Stryker said, looking at me over his interlaced fingers, "You've got some explaining to do." He glared at me. "Why did you release Kowloon, the most dangerous member of the BR Brigade, after we'd gone through all that trouble to capture him?"

At that claim, I chuckled patronizingly. "All that trouble? You flatter yourself, Stryker. Kowloon wanted to be captured. You wouldn't have caught him if he hadn't."

"What do you mean, Tria?" Liu Ren asked, seeming slightly insulted, "He showed up when he heard about your training with Mei Lian, and we defeated and captured him there."

"I would've thought you'd know better than that, Liu Ren." I chided the older man, turning my own disapproving glare to him, "Even Kowloon's pride and love of fighting wouldn't drive him to appear here just to get in on our training."

"Let's say he did come here for another reason." the Captain interjected, "How do you know that reason was enough to allow his escape? Do you even know what his ulterior motive was?"

"I do." I replied calmly, "He came here to speak with me. He had a request, and he was willing to let himself get caught so he could make it."

"A request?" Liu Ren asked, confused.

"Wh-What kind of request?" Drake stuttered nervously.

I smiled, looking around at the humans before locking eyes with Elric, knowing he'd have to translate for the humans. "He wants me to be his alpha."

Elric jolted, his eyes wide and shocked. The other humans looked at each other in confusion.

"His alpha?" Liu Ren repeated.

"What the hell does that mean?" Sean asked impatiently.

"L-Like…a leader or…something?" Drake offered hesitantly.

"Sort of." Elric answered, stepping forward to maintain the high-ranking Wardens attention, "There isn't any direct translation into any human culture for a vivosaurian alpha. The closest comparison would probably be the Park leaders, but even that position doesn't quite cover it."

"Then what exactly is an alpha?" Captain Stryker asked, the early morning lessening his patience.

Elric looked at me, silently asking me if I wanted to explain, and when I shrugged, he answered, "The alpha has a few roles. The first, of course, is to lead those under his or, in this case, her command. Those under the alpha obey orders and follow the alpha's lead in and out of battle."

"Like a fighter and vivosaur?" Sean supplied.

"Correct." Elric said, "A fighter often serves as his or her vivosaurs' alpha. Nibbles is the alpha of the team Tria raised. But that's not all alphas do." He glanced at me before continuing, "Alphas also serve as guides and mentors for those under them, teaching them necessary skills and offering support and advice when needed. There is a definite respect held for the alpha, but the relationship isn't purely professional. Alphas and their subordinates are often friends, or at least on friendly terms, and they look after each other. Packs of vivosaurs are essentially communities, with the members supporting each other, and the alpha is at the head, making decisions for the good of the group." He looked at me directly this time. "It takes a lot of trust for someone to follow an alpha, and for an alpha to accept an underling. Are you sure his request is sincere, and are you sure it's wise to accept him as a member of your pack?"

I nodded, facing the group as a whole. "Kowloon is crafty and intelligent, and he has immense bloodlust, but there's a reason for it. He was raised by a pack of rogue Zino, so while he understands the laws of the vivosaurs perfectly, his understanding of human laws is sorely lacking. He'd likely never even met another human until young adulthood, and by then, he'd become who he is now. He's a vivosaur, a Zino, in a human body, and he can't live among humans on his own, just as vivosaurs can't exist in human society unless they understand human laws. Nibbles, for instance, is a vivosaur who thinks as much like a human as a vivosaur, which lets him exist among the humans without the aid of a fighter."

"And he only managed that because you trained him to." Captain Stryker muttered, as much to himself as to me.

"Are you hoping to do the same with Kowloon?" Liu Ren asked me, still sounding vaguely incredulous.

"Partially." I replied, "Kowloon won't integrate completely into human society; he's lived too long outside of it, but he can live among humans if he has an accepted leader, an alpha, who can guide him through the transition."

"Are you, um, sure about that, Tria?" Drake asked, hesitant despite himself.

"Yeah, Tria." Sean added, draping an arm around the taller viking, "Kowloon is malicious and enjoys to suffering of others. You said so yourself. He doesn't have the dark energy like Nibbles did or the berserker bloodline like Drake. You can't compare him to them."

"I'm not comparing Kowloon to Drake or Nibbles." I replied, "I'm comparing him to myself."

"WHAT?!" Sean screamed, shocked.

"H-How?" Drake stuttered, slightly deafened by the American Warden next to him.

"What do you mean, Tria?" Liu Ren asked nervously.

"You saved the world from the dark energy and the BR Brigade, sacrificing your own life in the process!" Stryker yelled, standing up as he slammed his hands on his desk, "How can you possibly compare yourself to someone as malicious and bloodthirsty as Kowloon?!"

"Because Kowloon is just like me." I answered, speaking over the protests as I met Elric's sympathetic gaze evenly, "If I hadn't been raised in a balanced environment, partnered with a human who is naturally calm and cool-headed, I would've become just like Kowloon, only infinitely more dangerous due to my power."

"I can attest to that." Elric defended when the incredulous statements started again, "Tria wasn't always as calm and patient as she is now." He placed a hand on my shoulder, interlacing his fingers with the claws of my wings. "As I have told Drake, and as Tria has told the Captain, she can become incredibly violent and ruthless in battle, and she used to be worse." He tightened his grip on my wing-hand when he felt me tremble.

"Do you understand now, Wardens? Why I have agreed to accept Kowloon, as well as Zinodious, into my ranks?" I asked, finishing my plea to the high-ranking Wardens, "Kowloon doesn't understand human laws, and he's wary and resentful, almost as much as his vivosaur, but he is an excellent fighter, a skilled pack leader, and, when accepted, a loyal comrade. They both need guidance, support, and control, but once they have that, they will become reliable allies. I'm the one who's taking charge of him, and while I shall do that regardless of your decisions, I would appreciate your support. Do I have it?"

The Wardens all looked at each other, clearly uneasy. They then turned back to me, Elric running a hand over my wing to keep me settled as the Captain delivered his opinion.

"I don't trust Kowloon, not after all he's done, and I think the leaders agree." he said, waiting for the three leaders to nod before continuing, "However, there is something else we agree on." He looked at them again before stating, "We may not trust Kowloon, but we do trust you. Your instincts have always been dead-on, especially in regard to people, and your loyalty is unquestionable. So you have our support, at least for now. However, if Kowloon starts posing a threat to the Parks, the Wardens, or yourself, we won't hesitate to take him in, or take him out."

"You needn't worry about that, Captain." I replied, smiling gratefully at my Warden allies, "If something like that happens, I'll deal with him myself."

"Well then." Stryker said, leaning back and visibly relaxing, "I'm assuming you still won't tell us where Kowloon is hiding, so I'll just leave him to you. That is all."

"Thanks, Stryker." I said.

"Hey, Tria." Sean said, suddenly all smiles again as he draped his arm over my shoulder, "Now that this is all settled, how's about you come to America so we can talk about that T-rex Sue in Goldrush Canyon?"

I laughed at the American leader's sudden shift in mood. "Sure thing, Sean." I replied, letting him lead me out of the Captain's office with a wave to the others. As we exited the elevator, the Fossil Center still quiet in the early morning hours, we were approached by a tall, intimidating woman with gentle eyes.

"Dobraye ootro, Tria." Olga greeted me in her mother tongue, smiling as she walked up to me. She then stopped suddenly and shrank back slightly when she noticed Sean.

"Good morning, Olga." I greeted the woman kindly, approaching her when she wouldn't come any closer and wrapping a wing around her shoulders in a gesture of comfort.

"You're that BR lieutenant who was brainwashed by Dr. Blackraven, aren't you?" Sean asked her, looking at the nervous woman curiously before grinning, "Glad to hear you're interested in joining the Wardens. We're happy to have you!"

"M-many thanks, Park Leader." Olga muttered, still subconsciously hiding behind me. I couldn't blame her; after being an enemy of the Wardens for so long, it would take her a while to be comfortable around its leaders.

"No need to be shy, Olga." I said gently to the woman, "The Wardens accept you. You have nothing to fear."

"Yeah!" Sean agreed a little too loudly before adding in a quieter tone, "If we're willing to accept having Kowloon nearby, you will have no trouble fitting in."

Olga tensed visibly, her eyes going wide and her breath catching in her throat as she gasped, "K-Kowloon? He was…caught?"

"For a brief time, yes." I replied calmly, my wing tightening around the trembling woman, "He came here to talk to me, and I freed him afterward. He's now hiding out, awaiting my orders."

She stared at me, the look in her eyes terrified. Before she could ask me more, Sean interjected.

"I'm afraid that information is also classified for now." he said, glaring pointedly at me, "We don't want to start a panic."

"Right." I said in affirmation, watching the American leader head toward the World Gate with a wave and a friendly smile to Olga. I then looked up at the Russian woman, who was clearly distressed, confused, and anxious, and gestured her down to my height.

"He's in the back of Autumn Garden." I whispered to her, looking into her eyes evenly, "Just be careful. He and Zinodious are both on edge. But Kowloon might be willing to tell you his motives and intentions, especially once he knows you're my Paleo Pal and I sent you. Tell him that the Wardens are wary of him, but they've accepted my judgement and will not hunt or attack him."

Olga looked at me, her ice-blue eyes somewhat apprehensive, but then she nodded and smiled gratefully at me.

"My thanks, Tria." she said, heading for the Garage. I turned around and walked through the World Gate, following Sean as another day with the Wardens began.


	24. Canine Rivalry

I followed Dino Gigante out of the elevator leading down from Sean's office, sighing tiredly. After spending several hours going over the proper procedure for dealing with dinosaurs in the modern world and recruiting Diplo to help find a place for them when they hatched, Dino Gigante showed up, marching into Sean's office as easily as if he were walking into a public café. He must do that often, because Sean greeted him as cheerfully as if he hadn't just interrupted a planning session for finding a suitable environment for baby dinosaurs. He and Dino chatted for a while before the permanently-masked fighter demanded that he and I become Paleo Pals. I was taken off-guard for a second, but I accepted nonetheless. He was still loud like Saurhead, but his personality was much nicer, so I decided he was a worthy Paleo Pal to have. Plus, he's a friend of Sean's. I can't say no to a friend of Sean's. After that, we'd left, Sean leaving with Diplo to scout out areas, Dino returning to the Stadium, and me collapsing to the floor and leaning against the wall of the Fossil Center lobby, resting my head on my knees.

"Hey." a voice said, coming from somewhere above me. I looked up to see Leon standing over me, looking down at me with concern. "You okay, Tria?"

"Yeah." I sighed tiredly, grabbing his offered hand and letting him lift me to my feet, "It's been a busy day."

"It's not even noon yet." Leon said, chuckling, "Rookie."

"You hush." I mumbled, smacking the back of his head lightly, "I have a lot to do. Even I run out of energy eventually."

Leon just laughed again, draping an arm around my shoulders. "Take it you're not up for a challenge, then? Too bad."

"A challenge?" I asked, looking up at the taller male curiously, "What kind of challenge?"

"Well." he began, smirking down at me, "You've done a lot for us. Everyone's grateful to you, including me. You truly are amazing."

"Is that the challenge? To see how much praise I can take?" I asked, huffing a slight laugh. Leon chuckled.

"Not likely." he replied, facing me, "You are amazing. I have always been a lone wolf who played by his own rules. No partners for this guy!" He smiled at me. "But you showed me that teaming up for a Fossil Battle can be…fun. So that makes one point for you, I guess." His smirk then returned again. "But now every time I see your mug, I get this itch I can't scratch. I wanna test the limits of my potential! I wanna battle you, in your battle form, with my Ptera and Coatlus, in an aerial battle!" He then crossed his arms. "But if you're tired already, it wouldn't be very sporting. So if you backed out, I'd understand. I mean, most people would, with their vivosaurs at full strength."

"As if!" I laughed, crossing my arms and flexing my wings, "I'm not so tired that I can't fight! I'll take you on!"

Leon's eyes widened, seeming somewhat surprised. His expression told me all I needed to know.

"I may not be at my peak, but I am by no means weak. I still won't be easy to defeat. Besides…" I grinned at him, baring my sharp teeth in a return challenge. "I've got a lot on my mind right now. I could use a decent distraction."

Leon smiled back, meeting my confident gaze equally. "I expected no less, rookie. What dig site shall we dual in?"

"Hm…" I hummed, pondering the question, "Goldrush Canyon should be avoided, due to the T-rex Sue, there aren't many high areas in Dusty Steppes, and Starry Falls would put you at a disadvantage with its low light and visibility."

"Doesn't have to be in America, ya know." Leon interjected, "I'll beat your tail anywhere."

"In that case." I replied, looking up at Leon, "Would you mind an audience? There's another tour going on in Paradise Beach, which has many cliffs, including one that overlooks the ocean."

Leon listened to my suggestion, his smile steadily growing wider with each word. "Sounds rad." he answered when I'd finished, already leading me to the World Gate, "Let's go."

"Go where?" another voice piped up. We looked over to the entrance of the Fossil Center in time to see Lucky running up to us. He pounced on Leon, the older male catching the kid easily.

"Paradise Beach." I answered the excited boy, "Leon's been wanting to test his skills against mine, so we're going there to spar. It's been a while since I've been in a full aerial battle, too, so it'll let me see how rusty I've become."

"Ooo! Can I come? I wanna watch!" Lucky asked, bouncing around excitedly. He looked from me to Leon pleadingly, his puppy-dog eyes wearing at the Warden he was clinging to. Leon groaned.

"Oh, for the love of…Fine! You can come. But JUST to watch, you get me? This fight is between me and Tria." Leon acquiesced. Lucky cheered, running through the World Gate with me and Leon following behind.

In Paradise Beach, with Leon and Lucky in Leon's Turf Shredder and me flying overhead, I heard Leon's voice through my earpiece.

"All right, Tria." he said, "Where do you wanna do this?"

"The cliff by the sea. It's the perfect place for an aerial battle. The group's currently facing off against the Tarbo that lives in the crevice nearby. Think I should get their attention?"

"Don't ask me." Leon replied, chuckling, "I'm not the Commander of the Vivosaurs." I heard Lucky giggle in response. I laughed with them.

"All right, I'll take care of it." I said, diving to where the group was. Hovering above the cliff, out of sight of the humans and the vivosaurs, I observed.

"Don't worry, everyone!" Penny called to the group, which seemed to consist of about 20 people close to my age. They looked like a school group, not surprising, and most of them clearly didn't have any experience with vivosaurs, because they were freaking out. Many of them screamed again when the team of Nate, Penny, and Roland (who had finally regained enough strength to go on missions again) sent out their own vivosaurs. Edapho, Hypsi, and Tricera roared at the Tarbo, telling it to back off. The Tarbo, however, was in a particularly bad mood, and roared back, calling for two of its companions, the Alxas brothers, to fight alongside it. The Asian team sighed, not so much scared as annoyed, and their vivosaurs prepared to fight. I also heard a familiar growl come from Penny's Digger's Rig, followed by the appearance of the Crimson Ravager, who elicited more screams and a few awed gasps from the tour group. That was when I decided to chime in.

I opened my mouth, unleashing my Heaven's Call and letting it echo across the dig site. Every member of the tour group screamed in terror, shrinking back from the windows in the Bone Bus. The Asian team startled, but didn't show any fear as they registered the sound, while Nibbles and the Wardens' vivosaurs greeted me. The Tarbo and the two Alxas fled, backing down as I'd ordered them to.

"Nice one, Tria!" Leon called to me, laughing at the effects of my voice. The three Bone Buggies leading the tour group turned to face Leon's Turf Shredder as he drove up to them. I landed on the purple Bone Buggy and perched there, facing the humans and vivosaurs.

"Hi Tria! Leon! Lucky!" Penny greeted us.

"What are you guys doing here?" Roland asked.

"Sparring session." Leon answered simply, "I want to test my skills and my vivosaurs' strength against Tria, and she thought this would be a good place to fight."

"I haven't fought an aerial battle in a while, so I want to keep my own skills sharp." I added.

"And I'm here to watch!" Lucky finished our explanation cheerfully.

"A sparring session with Tria?" Nate repeated nervously, the memory of the last battle he'd had with me fresh in his mind.

"I don't suppose you'd let us watch, would you?" Roland asked somewhat-hesitantly, wanting to see me fight with his new knowledge about how my metabolism works.

At the question, the cacophony of voices rose from the bus, the students of the tour group making their desire to watch the fight very clear. Amid the noise, Leon shrugged.

"If you want to. The choice is yours." he said, managing to sound cool and casual despite his pride and amusement. He then drove over to the cliff, with me still sitting on the roof, and stopped there. After telling Lucky to stay in the Bone Buggy, much to the younger's displeasure, he met me on the roof, his two Dino Gears in his hands.

"Well, Tria. We're here. So I'll ask you once more, do you have the sand?"

"Oh, I have the sand, all right." I responded confidently, spreading my wings, "The question is, do you?"

"You know it." he replied as I took off, watching me flying over the ocean before releasing his two flying vivosaurs.

I looked over at the tour group, the students sticking their heads out of the windows to get a better view. Well, most of them were. I did notice one person, a male with blond hair falling over his eyes, smirking at Leon, his expression making me uneasy. My uneasiness grew when I saw him turn to his two companions and whisper something to them, which led to them looking at Leon as well before laughing. I narrowed my eyes at them before turning back to the pterosaurs facing me.

"Let's go, Tria!" Leon called up to me, "I'll accept no less than your best! Take on your battle form!"

I growled, already in a battle mindset, before glancing back at the Bone Bus again. Seeing the three males laughing suspiciously again, I dove at them, glowing with the activation of my battle form. As my rapidly-growing body approached the vehicle, I spread my wings and sped directly toward the three boys. I then darted upward and climbed back into the air, the shockwave from my wings shattering the windows and showering some of the kids with shards of glass. The two sitting next to the blond shrank back from the flying shards, but the blond himself simply smirked cockily at me before he turned his patronizing gaze back to Leon, watching him with a look of sadistic amusement. The expression was reminiscent of someone watching a little kid who was about to fail horribly at something, and he couldn't wait to see him cry. I growled, turning my golden gaze back to my opponents as the light of my transformation faded.

"Ptera! Middle Spear!" Leon commanded his most trusted partner. Ptera shrieked, diving at me with nearly-blinding speed. I roared back, my Heaven's Call shaking the smaller flying vivosaur.

"Wing Blaster!" Leon ordered next. Ptera, who had been stopped by my counterattack, flapped his wings in an attempt to blow me away. I spread my wings in response, ready to blow him away instead, but I was stopped by the force of the second pterosaur.

"Coatlus! Vast Tornado!" Leon's voice echoed loudly off the cliff. At his order, the massive flying vivosaur, nearly twice Ptera's size, flew up behind me, bringing a large heated twister with him. The swirling winds surrounded me, the heat from the Fire-type's attack soon being accompanied by the confusing howls of the Chaos Twister that was Ptera's signature move.

I roared, already feeling the confusion and dizziness take hold, and shot upward, propelling myself toward the top of the twister. I opened my jaws as I climbed, the sparkling white mist mixing into the swirling winds and dispersing. I closed my eyes, trying to keep the confusion at bay as I broke through the twister, the cold of the higher altitude clearing my head. Finally opening my eyes again, I looked down at the twister, extending all the way down to the ocean, and at the two pterosaurs flying around it searching for me. I saw some tiny specks moving around on the cliff, looking somewhat-frantic, but I couldn't make out any details. Knowing I couldn't stay that high in the air for very long, the thin air suffocating and unable to support my weight, I dove back toward the twister. As I reentered the swirling winds, I unleashed my Angel's Fire, turning the combined tornado into a swirling white inferno. I heard Leon's voice, likely ordering his vivosaurs away from the attack turned against him in a repeat of the Wardens Cup, but I didn't pay attention to him. I continued my dive, entering the water with a large splash. The splashed water hit the cyclone, turning the violent flaming tornado into a slowly rotating cloud of steam. I poked my head out of the water, assessing the volume of the hiss before launching back into the air, gliding slowly in sync with the rotation.

"Ptera! Coatlus! Stay on alert!" Leon ordered, straining to even see his vivosaurs through the fog. The two pterosaurs looked around, their shrieks taunting me to come out of hiding. I smirked, watching from my place hidden among the steam as the vivosaurs started swaying uneasily, struggling to stay airborne.

"Ptera! Coatlus! What's wrong?!" Leon called to his vivosaurs as the confusion and dizziness took hold. He then noticed how some of the steam sparkled and growled in frustration. "Damn it! It's the Divine Mist!"

I grinned, proud of Leon's ability to recognize my attacks even when they're concealed, before gathering my light energy in my scales and intensifying the glow in my Blinding Strike. The glow reflected off the mist, turning it into a cloud of blinding white light that forced all the humans to shield their eyes. I took advantage of this opening and shot forward, striking both of the frozen vivosaurs and sending them back to their fighter as Dino Gears. The watching crowd looked around in confusion when the light faded to reveal me hovering alone in the sky. Then they went wild.

"Woah!"

"That was awesome!"

"What happened?! I didn't even see it!"

"That was amazing!" Penny cried, her voice awed.

"Even for Tria, that was incredible!" Nate yelled, laughing with adrenaline.

"How did she stand that twister?! And keep fighting through it?!" Roland asked no one in particular, "I'll never know how she does it…"

"Woo-hoo!" Lucky cheered excitedly, "That was so cool! You're the best, Tria!" He then looked up toward the roof and called to his idol, "You were awesome too, Leon! Don't feel bad!"

Leon didn't hear the young child, clenching his fists so hard they shook. "Damn it! I lost! I'm never gonna hear the end of this…" He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. When I landed and approached his Turf Shredder, nudging my muzzle against his cheek, he looked up at me and smiled. "You get more interesting by the minute, rookie. You know that?" He stroked my muzzle as I purred, smirking at me. "That's why I can't help trying to beat you! No matter what happens, you're always gonna be my rival. We'll keep pushing each other to new and better heights. Just a pair of lone wolves howling at the moon!" Leon looked up at me, meeting my golden gaze with his gray one. "You're cool with that, right?"

I raised my head and howled, my literal response startling a laugh out of the Warden and causing everyone else to jump. I then reverted back to my normal form and rode on Leon's Turf Shredder back the Fossil Park Asia, still eyeing the suspicious blond as he continued smirking at Leon throughout the entire ride back.


	25. An Unpleasant Reunion

"What in the world were you thinking, Leon?! Fighting Tria when she's as tired as she is! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?! You weren't hoping you'd win more easily with her exhausted and starved, were you?!"

Leon glared at Penny, taking her over-protective lecture head-on. The Asian Wardens were standing in front of the mechanical dinosaur in the middle of the Fossil Square, Penny with her hands on her hips and Nate and Roland standing at her shoulders, ready to restrain her if necessary. Leon stood in front of Penny, his arms crossed and his posture annoyed. Lucky stood off to the side, wincing at the tongue-lashing his idol was receiving. I sat on the ground, leaning against the wall of the Fossil Shop while stroking a clawed hand over Nibbles' head. I sighed tiredly, earning me a sympathetic glance from Nibbles and a concerned one from Roland.

"I already told you, Penny." Leon growled at the girl in front of him, "Tria insisted we spar now. I'd offered to wait until she had rested. I'd've preferred to face her at full power, though this makes it even clearer that I have more training to do. Also, she hadn't told me she hadn't eaten in a day, so how was I supposed to know that?"

"It doesn't matter!" Penny barked back, "If you knew she was tired, you shouldn't have fought her! You know she has no common sense when it comes to her health! She'll keep going 'til she drops if we let her!"

"Sometimes I wonder if you know I can hear you." I mumbled. I must have spoken loudly enough to be heard, because she then turned on me.

"You need to hear what I say!" she snapped, glaring at me now, "You left before I could talk to you about your reckless training with Mei Lian, skipped dinner, then got up early and fought Leon, despite knowing you were weak!"

"I don't know how you had enough energy to fight in the first place…" Roland muttered, shuddering at the memory of what the calorie-burning engine had done to him.

"I know my limits, Penny." I replied, my voice calm and confident, "I've been known to push them, but I won't push them far enough to endanger myself. That is what I've been trained to do, after all."

"You push your limits when you have to!" Penny retorted, facing me directly now, "You push your limits when you have no choice! Putting yourself at risk for no reason is stupid, and it always ends with you like this!"

"Who said I didn't have a reason?" I mumbled, but I was spoken over.

"Lay off, Penny." Leon told the Asian Warden, "Tria can take care of herself. She did live before meeting us, ya know?"

"With Elric to keep her from hurting herself." Penny responded, turning on the taller male again, "You know Tria as well as we do, Leon. She doesn't hold back, and she has a clear disregard for her own safety. That's why we have to look out for her!"

"But we can't keep treating her like she's fragile!" Leon argued, "Tria's strong. We all know firsthand just how strong she is." He cringed despite himself, all of them still sensitive to their battle with the dark energy when it controlled my body. "We all take care of her, and we always will, but we can't baby her! It's insulting, and it won't help any of us get stronger!"

Penny looked about to argue further, but a chilling chuckle sounded from behind Leon, the lone wolf tensing at the voice that followed.

"You haven't changed a bit, Leon." the voice said condescendingly, "You always were blind to everything around you. How someone like you got into the Wardens, I'll never know."

Leon turned around slowly, his teeth clenched, to face the blond boy from the bus. The boy's smirk was still in place, and his two friends were standing on either side of him, looking too much like bodyguards. The rest of the tour group stood by the Fossil Stadium, oblivious. The Wardens faced the trio.

"Oh, hello." Penny greeted pleasantly.

"You're from the tour, right?" Roland asked somewhat-rhetorically.

"You know Leon?" Nate asked innocently.

"Oh, we know him." the blond chuckled, looking up at Leon smugly, "Probably more than any of you do."

"Mikasi Acerbi." Leon snarled, his voice vicious, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm on a tour, Leon." Mikasi replied easily, "Surely you know they give tours here." He looked around, as if admiring the scenery, "This is a lovely Park. Do you work here?"

"I'm an American Warden." Leon replied, trembling with the effort of maintaining his composure.

"Hm, interesting." Mikasi just about purred, "Maybe you can give us a tour sometime."

"Sorry, Mikasi. I'm very busy. I don't have time for tours." Leon replied with remarkable control.

"Yet you have time to challenge the world's savior, huh? Heh heh." Mikasi chuckled again, "You never did have your priorities in order." He smirked at the Warden as his companions laughed. "Maybe I should join the Wardens. I'd make a better one than you."

Leon snarled, now visibly quaking with the restraint needed to keep himself from knocking the other male's lights out. With my lack of energy, I did not have that level of control.

"Now hold on! Mikasi, was it?" Penny snapped at the boy, standing beside Leon, "We are always happy to have more Warden recruits, but we won't accept anyone who is so disrespectful to our comrades. Leon is a very accomplished Warden, and while he has his flaws, we wouldn't be where we are now without him, and we won't have you insulting him like this! If you really want to join the Wardens, you'd better take care of that attitude, first!"

"Penny…" Leon muttered, slightly shocked that the girl who'd just been scolding him for being irresponsible was now defending him.

"Yeah!" Nate added his voice, must to everyone's surprise, "Leon's one of the best Wardens from our class! He's right up there with Tria!"

"I'm not that good." Leon protested, glancing at me with a slight blush at the praise. His gaze then returned to me when I didn't respond, noticing that Nibbles was no longer at my side.

"The Wardens support each other." Roland finished for his friends, stepping up to stand with them as they faced Mikasi and his companions, "We won't take anyone who intentionally hurts his fellow Wardens. You have to rely on them! One your friends!"

"On my friends?" Mikasi responded, his cockiness unfazed by the Asian Wardens' words. He glanced at the two boys at his side. "I can beat that. I already have a team prepared. Our teamwork is top-notch. In fact…" He looked at all of the Wardens challengingly. "I'll bet I could beat any of you in battle, us versus any team of your choosing!"

The Asian Wardens growled, getting ready to accept Mikasi's challenge, but then Penny noticed something press against her legs.

"What's wrong, Nibbles?" she asked, kneeling down next to the quaking vivosaur, "I thought you were looking after Tria?"

Nibbles didn't seem to hear the girl, his green eyes locked on me, wide and fearful. Leon was also looking at me, his face unusually pale.

"Tria?" he asked hesitantly, "Are you all right? Talk to us."

I just sat there, processing all that'd been said since Mikasi showed up. The rest of the tour group had gathered behind the blond male, watching the scene with interest, though the teachers looked ready to drag their student away from the Wardens if necessary. I wasn't about to let that happen.

"Heh heh heh heh heh." I chuckled, dark and sadistic, startling everyone in the Fossil Square. I looked up, facing the challenger confidently. "You think you could make it with the Wardens, eh? Think you'd do well here? Is that right?"

Mikasi, not seeming to care about the change in my tone, answered easily, "Of course. I can work in a team, unlike the 'lone wolf' here." He gestured to the American Warden. "And unlike these three." He gestured to the Asian team. "I can fight with and without my vivosaurs. I'd be a better Warden than any of these people. I could even be named Captain someday! You ought to be begging me to join you!"

"Is that so?" I asked rhetorically, rising from my spot against the wall. My hair created a veil over my eyes as I glared at the creature that dared to challenge me. "I'll be the judge of that. All four of the Wardens you just insulted have overcome a great challenge in their careers. I'll give you a taste of that trial. If you can pass this test, I'll make you a full-fledged Warden, no further test required. Deal?"

The Wardens gasped, protesting the offer I'd just make, but Mikasi laughed and spoke over them, "All right, Commander of the Vivosaurs, you have a deal! If these losers made it though, it'll be no problem for me!"

"What are you doing, Tria?!" Leon exclaimed, starting to approach me.

"You can't do that, Tria!" Roland yelled.

"Can she?" Nate asked.

"That's not the point!" Penny barked at the male Warden before addressing me, "Haven't you heard what Mikasi has been saying?! Do you really want him in the Wardens?!"

I laughed again, quickly becoming hysterical as I lifted my head to the sky. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw more of the Park's residents gathering to observe this spectacle, and at this point, I couldn't be bothered to give a damn. If they got in my way, that was their problem.

"Oh yeah, one more thing, little human." I purred, calming down just as spontaneously before grinning, my eyes glowing in the shadow of my hair. I looked at the group of mammals gathered before me, the bloody red that bathed them only heightening my rage. "If you fail this test…" I focused my glowing white iris on the blond that had challenged me, gaining immense pleasure from his quaking in the face of my far superior power. "You die."

With that statement, I lunged forward, extending my wings and baring my claws. I saw three Dino Gears get thrown into the air, glowing with the release of the vivosaurs within, but I didn't register what the vivosaurs themselves were, for they retreated back the moment my claws made contact with them. My wing-claws then shot out, grabbing the two humans standing at the blond's side by the throat and holding them in the air, while I caught the challenger itself with my hand claws. I chuckled at the rodent's desperate gasping, baring my razor-sharp teeth at the squirming creature as my claws tightened. It seemed to be trying to say something, tears streaming down its face, but I couldn't care less what it was. I opened my jaws, preparing the flames that would end its miserable existence.

Suddenly, I heard more screaming, this time coming from the mammals behind me. I then registered the sound of their foot-coverings hitting the ground as they rushed toward me.

"Foolish creatures." I snarled, extending my wings to their full span with the other two struggling rodents still flailing in my claws. Without even turning around, I swept the massive limbs backward, the membranes catching the wind and throwing the light-weight creatures back. I started chuckling again when I heard other voices rising from the gathered crowd. The cacophony hurt me ears, and I dropped the thrashing rodents to jump onto the roof of the shelter covering the wheeled contraptions to escape the noise. I then looked around, attempting to assess the situation.

The tiny mammals were now scattering, their panicked screeches equally pleasing and painful. But those voices were shooting off in random directions. The voices that got to me were the ones clearly being thrown at me. There was the group that I had thrown backward, which had gotten back up and was now calling to me. They all seemed to be saying the same thing, but I couldn't derive any meaning from it. There was a little mammal hiding close to the weird mechanical dinosaur in the center of the area, also screaming the same thing. Two other creatures had appeared, one with its hair tied up and one that was much older than it looked. The younger one started screaming the same thing as the group, while the other one seemed to be addressing the rest of the crowd. Looking toward the large building behind the place the little one was hiding, three more mammals were rushing toward me; a tiny one, a large one, and one with long hair. They were screaming that same word. What did it mean? I roared at them, warning them not to interfere, but they disregarded my words. I snorted and shook my head. If they really wanted to die alongside this foolish challenger, I would grant them their wish. The challenger came first, though, and I turned my attention back to it.

I snarled again, watching the creature try to scramble back to its group, its so-called packmates having already abandoned it for the safety of the larger group. I opened my jaws again, readying the flames that would seal the creature's fate. As I released them, the screams increasing in volume as I did so, two bright flashes entered my peripheral vision.

The howling winds swirled around the area, catching my flames and diverting them. Growling, I focused my gaze on the two large silhouettes standing on either side of the smaller silhouette standing in front of my prey. A member of the group that'd tried to stop me at the start of the battle, the one with a single spike on its head, stood between me and my prey, the two pterosaurs allied with it facing me as well, their wings extended. I looked between them, my gaze lingering on the smaller one as my hatred increased. How dare that wretched creature show itself to me again?! I shrieked, enraged, and leapt into the air, diving toward the intruders with claws gleaming.

The two pterosaurs flapped their wings, summoning the winds that had stopped my flames, but I would not be so easily deterred. My wings sliced through the fierce gale with ease, only increasing the speed of my dive. Through the bustling winds, I caught the scent of three more newcomers, two of whom shared a scent not dissimilar from mine. I darted upward, out of the galestorm, to get a better look.

One mammal was sitting on the roof I had just vacated, its dark eyes locked on me with a look of fear, though its nose and mouth were covered. It did not have the scent that resembled mine. That was coming from the other two that were rushing out from underneath the shelter, their gazes holding dreadful recognition as they looked up at me. The taller one with the long hair trembled and reached for a Dino Gear, moving closer to its companion as it did so. Its companion was intriguing, familiar in scent but not in sight, and I glided down to examine further. It looked like a mammal and partially smelled like one, but its scent also held significant similarities to a vivosaur, and its eye held the same predatory gleam that mine did. My confusion deepened and became wary when the strange creature unsheathed its hidden claws and took a battle stance against me. I narrowed my eyes at it, but I had no interest in fighting the creature that was so much like me, yet was not me. My first priority was my escaping prey and the intruder that dared intercept my attack.

Climbing back into the air, I returned my focus to the two pterosaurs and the mammals they guarded. No, there was only one rodent left, my prey having fled while I was distracted by the newcomers. I screamed my rage to the sky, my eyes scanning the bloodied ground for any sign of where the group may have escaped to. That's when I noticed that many of the rodents that had been calling out to me were now standing in front of the other building, the small vivosaur standing with them, as if guarding it. I narrowed my eyes and dove, screeching my rage to them as they continued to defy me.

As I neared, the larger pterosaur lunged at me, as if attempting to skewer me with its beak, but I evaded easily. I was then caught by the familiar scent of rotting flesh and turned on the large carnivore charging toward me, baring its silver teeth. I snorted at the pitiful attempt to grab me and unleashed my mist, bringing it down. I then caught a glint of metal out of the corner of my eye and blocked the oncoming attack from the strange rodent-not-rodent. It was glaring at me, but there was hesitation in its movements, and I took advantage, striking it down with my own claws. I heard another rodent call out, which meant nothing to me at first, but then the strange rodent looked up at the source and seemed to respond, making me curious. I didn't have time to investigate, though, as my current opponent charged at me again. I sighed in annoyance as we continued to clash, its hesitation rendering it unable to land a blow as I continued dealing damage. I soon became frustrated; it was like it wasn't even trying! It was just dodging my blows and half-heartedly retaliating. My eyes then widened as I heard a shriek from above me. It was only then that I realized the smaller pterosaur had disappeared, along with the long-haired rodent that had come out of the center building. I looked up to see the pterosaur hovering over me, the rodent on its back. It screeched at me, taunting me as it had before. I screamed back at it, climbing to meet it. It wasn't until I got too close that I noticed the light glowing in the mammal's clenched fist. And by then, it was too late.

The human launched himself off the pterosaur's back, slamming the light-filled device against my forehead. I cried out in pain as the light pierced my senses, overcoming the cold burning of my hatred and washing away the bloody glow that covered everything. I closed my eyes as I fell, barely registering my tail knocking something away from me. I did, however, register the voice calling out to me, the meaning in that one word the humans had been screaming finally returning to me.

"Tria!" Elric's voice reached my ears, the panic in it now obvious, "Tria! Wake up! We're gonna crash! You have to fly!"

I shook my head, the light from the sun blinding me, but a slight shift in the direction I was looking showed that I was approaching the ground at a terrifying rate. My eyes widened in shock, as did my wings on reflex, and I twisted around to grab my childhood friend as I sped toward the ground at a slant. I knew I couldn't land gently; I hadn't the strength. So, as I sped toward the ground, I tilted my wings upward, catching as much of the wind as I could and slowing my speed as the ground closed in. Then, once I got close, I turned my back to the earth below and enclosed Elric in my wings, shielding him from the impact as I'd had to do so frequently when we were younger, just learning how to fly together. I felt the crash, felt myself slide across the ground as our momentum was lost to the earth, but I felt no pain. I simply sighed as I slid to a stop and calmly observed my surroundings with what little energy I had left.

Elric was leaning over me, the worry and guilt in his eyes making them shine. I could also see the rest of the Asian Wardens, along with the two American visitors, rushing toward us. I must've made a lot of noise to have gotten Mei Lian out of bed and summoned Liu Ren, Hanzo, Stryker, and Little. I still don't know how Olga and Kowloon had known to be here, but I looked back toward the Garage to see Kowloon limping back to Olga's Rock Crusher, Olga herself helping support him. I must remember to apologize to him later. I also noticed Leon's Ptera and Coatlus were missing and concluded that I had hit Ptera with my tail and he in turn had crashed into his Fire-type brother, which would explain why neither of them could've caught us when we were falling. I also saw some of the tour group starting to peak out of the windows of the Fossil Stadium, although Mikasi and his friends were nowhere in sight. That was all I could gather before I lost consciousness, soothed by the voices of my friends, the stroking of someone's fingers through my hair, and the nuzzling of a small reptilian muzzle against my cheek, the whimpers being emitted from it sympathetic and apologetic in equal measures.

Yet, even behind my closed eyes, I couldn't escape the sight of the jet-black flames still burning in several places, cold and without light as fire never should be.


	26. What Should We Do?

The humans really need to stop underestimating my senses, especially my sense of hearing.

With all the activity going on around me, I'd woken up only a few minutes after losing consciousness, greeted immediately by various yelling. I recognized the voices of Penny and Mei Lian viciously scolding someone, though I could tell after a few words that they weren't scolding me. I then heard an unusually subdued apology from the voice that made me lose control in the first place. Mikasi Acerbi's voice had lost all of its arrogant confidence and was now trembling, the fear my attack inspired compounded by the shame and embarrassment at having to be protected by the very group he'd claimed to be superior to, especially the American Warden he'd tormented so mercilessly. Said American Warden snapped at the two girls when their protests to Mikasi's apology began, his maturity allowing him to take the high road and remind his Asian comrades where their attention should be focused. Which, apparently, was on me. I expertly hid a grimace at the amount of attention I was receiving and continued pretending to be asleep as I turned my focus to the other nearby voices.

I could hear Elric speaking seriously to someone, who I then found out was Liu Ren when he responded. I then heard the voices of Captain Stryker and Professor Little in that same area and concluded that they all were discussing what had happened to me. I also heard nervous chirping from my other side, the side Penny, Mei Lian, and Leon weren't standing on, and tuned in to Nate and Roland asking if I was going to be all right, a question that, based on Leon's irritated bark, had been asked numerous times already. Hanzo was nowhere to be heard, so I could only assume he'd already been sent elsewhere. I started to wonder where Lucky and Nibbles were, since I remembered them being at my side when I'd passed out, but then I turned my attention from hearing to feeling and registered that there was a warm weight against my side while something else was holding my opposite hand. I could hear purrs coming from the weight pressed against my side and sniffles coming from the one holding my hand. Not knowing how long my unconscious façade would hold up, I tuned back into the conversation between the higher-ranking Wardens.

"Are you sure, Elric?" Captain Stryker was asking, the hushed tone sounding almost laughable when juxtaposed with his usual authoritative voice, "Because if that's what is really going on, we can't just sit by and do nothing."

"I'm positive." Elric replied, his tone equally hushed, "You remember the conditions to get rid of it. They weren't met, so of course it's still there. It's not enough to be a constant threat, but if she becomes too angry…"

"I see." the Captain muttered, "In that case, we need to monitor her more closely. We can't let her lose control like that again."

"But we can't go overboard with restricting her." Elric replied, "That will only make her more resentful, which will further increase its hold on her."

"Agreed." Liu Ren mumbled, "We need to find a balance. We can't trap and restrain her, but letting her do whatever she wants may not be wise, either."

"But from what we've seen so far." Professor Little interjected, "It usually shows up when she gets angry, with her limit becoming lower the weaker she is. Tria does not get angry easily, and I do not think battling alone is enough to summon it."

"I wouldn't expect battling to cause it to appear." Elric agreed with the Professor, "It's fed by negative emotions, like anger. Tria enjoys battling, so anger rarely enters the equation." He paused for a moment, which I could assume was when he glanced in my direction, before he continued, "Since her revival, it has only shown up twice, and in both cases she was out of battle, in her true form, and both were triggered by anger. Protective anger, specifically, since, in both cases, she wasn't the original target of the attacks, but was protecting another when it took hold."

"Protective anger?" the Captain repeated, more to himself than for confirmation.

"Does that mean it will appear every time she's trying to protect someone?" Liu Ren asked nervously.

"No." Elric said immediately, before that nervousness could spread any further, "Just when something makes her angry. The first time was when the citizens of Fossil Park Europe threw a particularly-harsh insult at her, one she's sensitive to, while she was protecting Olga. The second time it showed up was in reaction to that kid's harsh insults and arrogant tone being directed at her friends. In both cases, the victims of her attacks were unnecessarily vicious and hurtful to either her or those she protects. That's one of the quickest ways to enrage her, but it's also one of the only ways to enrage her, and since its main trigger seems to be anger, I don't think we have to worry about it too much."

"Even so." Stryker argued, "We need to be careful. Her weakness still had something to do with her loss of control this time, so we need to make sure she doesn't get this weak again."

"It would seem that the weaker she is, the more out-of-control she becomes." Little agreed hesitantly, as if he knew I was awake and could hear them.

"But that still isn't something we can avoid indefinitely." Liu Ren argued, "Tria has a difficult job with a lot of responsibilities. She will get tired, she will become weak, and no matter how kind, patient, and forgiving she is, she will, at times, get angry. We can't avoid those eventualities forever."

"And Tria herself wouldn't stand for it." Elric added, his knowledge of my nature showing through, "She can't stand being restrained, especially when there's something she needs to do."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Stryker argued back, struggling to keep his voice low, "We can't just leave things as they are! This may not happen very often, but it could still end up killing someone if she loses control and we can't stop her in time. If it weren't for Leon's quick thinking out there, Mikasi Acerbi would be dead right now, and who knows how much damage she would've done if you hadn't had that light-gathering device with you. Or if you had been at another Park or in a dig site?"

"Don't forget Kowloon." Liu Ren added almost-grudgingly, "He faced Tria to buy time for you to get the light energy to her, and he didn't even try to harm her, even though she wasn't holding back against him."

"We need to do something." Little stated, "Before she can hurt anyone else. This is getting too dangerous."

"I realize the danger this poses." Elric snapped at the high-ranking Wardens, his whispering voice containing an unusual bite, "But also remember that this isn't her fault. This is the price she has paid to return to us, and we shouldn't punish her for it. Unless you'd rather fulfill the conditions to get rid of it once and for all."

There was a shocked silence on the ends of the Captain, Professor, and Park leader. I heard footsteps approach the bed I was lying in, followed by the feeling of a hand resting on my tail. The tip curled around the wrist of the hand reflexively, feeling as much as hearing the words spoken by the hand's owner.

"Tria." Elric said, his voice gentle and soothing as he gripped the muscular appendage, "When did you tune back in?"

I remained silent for a few moments, listening as the rest of the voices I'd been tuning out quieted. I then sighed as I felt the humans gather around me and mumbled, "…have the gall to show your face here after everything you've done."

I heard the humans around me gasp in shock, and I opened my eyes to look at them blearily. Penny and Mei Lian were looming over me, the worry on their faces painful. Nate and Roland were hanging back more, still afraid of me. Leon was shaking, his face pale and his eyes guilty. Lucky was gripping my hand, just as I had felt earlier, and he had tears streaming down his face. Stryker, Little, and Liu Ren were standing at my feet, the guilty apology in their expressions pitiable. Nibbles was looking at me worriedly, nuzzling my cheek and whimpering. Elric was still holding onto my tail, as much for his own comfort as mine. He looked pained, his guilt, sorrow, and fear exceeding any of the others', including mine. I tightened the coil around his wrist and his own hold tightened in response.

"Y…You've been awake this whole time?" Roland asked hesitantly.

"Since that statement." I rasped, my voice hoarse.

"And you heard everything that was said since then?" Liu Ren asked, the small hope in his voice enough to make me laugh bitterly.

"Only what your group said." I replied, pointing a clawed finger at the Park leader, who flinched. The Captain looked away, cringing, and the Professor whimpered, tears appearing in his eyes as well. Elric sighed, as if he'd been expecting that. Which, knowing him, he had. "I had to tune out everything else."

"What were they talking about?" Nate asked, his lack of social skills not letting him sense the tension in the air.

"Must've been important for Tria to have focused on it." Mei Lian added, glaring pointedly at her Park leader. The other Wardens and future Warden looked at their superiors, now curious.

"That's classified." Captain Stryker snapped harshly, his authoritative nature giving the word extra bite. He glanced at Professor Little and Liu Ren, who both nodded, before looking at me and Elric. "We will discuss this more with you two later, after Tria's rested. The rest of you, keep this incident quiet. We don't want to go spreading any unnecessary rumors."

"Yes sir." the Wardens said in confirmation, though they didn't look too pleased about it. Stryker nodded before turning back to me and Elric.

"Elric, I need you to come with me. After we get the civilians settled, we must come up with a way to keep this from happening again."

"Yes, Captain." Elric ground out, sounding more resentful than I'd ever heard him. Stryker nodded again, not commenting on his emissary's tone as he addressed me.

"Tria." he said, before pausing, remembering that he couldn't order me around like he did the others. When he saw that the anger in his emissary's eyes was absent from mine, he continued, "Please rest. Recover your strength, then continue with the quest I gave you, if you feel up for it."

"Of course, Captain." I whispered, looking up at him, "I have something to report to you, and something to ask, but both can wait."

"Thank you, Tria." the Captain said gratefully, leaving the hospital room with the others of his group following, Elric leaving only when I nodded reassuringly. On his way out, Stryker called, "The rest of you, take care of Tria. Make sure she actually gets the food and rest she needs."

"Yes sir!" the Wardens all cried, more enthusiastic this time. I sighed. Stryker nodded, a small smile on his face as he left, leaving me in the care of the Asian graduates, American graduate, future Warden, and small vivosaur.

"Well, now that that's done, I'm going to get Tria's food." Penny stated, glaring at me in silent scolding. She then saw Nate ready to pester me about what I'd heard and grabbed him and Roland. "You two, come with me. We can get food for everyone."

"You got it, Penny." Roland agreed, knowing better than to argue with the blond when she got into her protective mood.

"Wait a minute! I still have some questions for Tria!" Nate cried, not knowing better than to argue with the blond when she got into her protective mood.

"We'll stay here and make sure Tria's comfortable." Leon said, glancing at me before nodding to Penny.

"Thanks, Leon. Make sure she doesn't move around too much." Penny replied before dragging Nate and Roland out of the room. I sighed again, adjusting my wings as I settled back down.

"What WERE they talking about?" Mei Lian asked, more to herself than to me.

"That's none of our concern." Leon replied as he arranged the pillows against my back to help me sit up, "Captain Stryker says it's classified, so we have no choice but to let it go."

Mei Lian looked like she was about to argue further, but became quiet when I growled something in vivosaurian tongue. Nibbles tensed as the three humans in the room looked at me in confusion.

"Did you say something, Tria?" Leon asked me as Lucky and Mei Lian leaned in to hear me.

"You aren't wearing your translators, I see." I whispered, looking at the humans tiredly, "I said they were discussing what had happened to me out there. Why I'd lost control and attacked Mikasi and his friends."

"They know why?!" Mei Lian cried angrily.

"I get why they wouldn't tell me." Lucky mumbled, playing with my clawed fingers distractedly, "But why wouldn't they tell you guys?"

"Do you know why you lost control, Tria?" Leon asked me. When I nodded, he leaned in closer as well. "Can you tell us?"

"I'm afraid not." I sighed, looking at my friends apologetically, "While I understand the frustration at being kept in the dark, I think the Captain has the right of it. This information could cause a panic, even within the Wardens, and it might bring some less-than-pleasant memories to the surface as well." At the annoyed and anxious looks I was getting, I assured them, "Don't worry. I'm sure the Captain will debrief you on the situation in time, but he hasn't figured out what to do about it, either. It only makes sense, when you think about it, that the higher-ups would want to settle things on their end before getting their subordinates involved."

"I guess…" Leon mumbled, not sounding convinced. Lucky looked up at his idol, not sure what to say about this situation. Mei Lian didn't have that problem.

"That's not fair!" she yelled, lowering her voice when I flinched, "We're worried about you too, you know! If this happens again, we need to know how to help you so you don't end up getting hurt again!"

"Oh, I can tell you how to do that." I stated, noting how the three humans suddenly intensified their focus on me. Even Nibbles, who had snuggled up to me with a slight whimper the moment I'd mentioned the topic of discussion, looked up and focused his green eyes on me.

"How to do what?" Penny asked as she, Nate, and Roland re-entered the room with the food.

"How to prevent me from losing control again." I repeated for the Asian Wardens. When they immediately gathered around me, alert and at attention, I sighed for the umpteenth time since waking up.

"The loss of control was weakness caused by lack of energy. This means that I need to be more careful about skipping meals and testing the limits of my stamina. Apparently, I can't go as long as I used to."

Penny gave me an 'I-told-you-so' look and Leon looked away guiltily. Roland spoke hesitantly.

"So the cause was you being tired and hungry?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No. The actual cause is the part I'm not allowed to discuss. My lack of energy simply rendered me unable to keep that cause in check when it was triggered."

"Triggered?" Nate squeaked.

"You mean…?" Leon asked, his guilt deepening.

"Yeah." I confirmed, reaching out with the hand Lucky wasn't holding and gripping Leon's tightly, "The anger at Mikasi's comments triggered the cause of my loss of control. If something sparks my ire, especially if I'm too tired to restrain myself, then I stand the risk of losing control again. That's what must ultimately be avoided."

"So basically…" Penny surmised once I had finished my explanation, "You lose control when you get angry due to an unknown cause, and the more tired you are, the more control you lose. Is that it?"

"Pretty much, although the cause isn't so much 'unknown' as 'hidden'." a deceptively-calm voice answered from the doorway. The humans turned to see Elric standing there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Once they'd noticed him, he pushed himself off the wall and approached the group. "I know you've already heard this from Tria, but the Captain wants all of you in his office so he can debrief you on the situation himself."

"Right." several of Wardens chorused, while others groaned in annoyance or expressed concern for my health. Leon didn't move, remaining next to his younger companion.

"What about me, Elric?" Lucky asked, looking up at the silver-haired male with wide eyes.

"The Captain wants you to return home like nothing happened. If anyone asks, tell them that one of the members of the tour group challenged Tria and it got a little out of hand." When Lucky protested, Elric repeated, "Those are the Captain's orders. If you disagree, I suggest taking it up with him. I can't tell you anything more."

While this was going on, I tapped Leon's wrist to get his attention. When he looked at me, I gestured him down.

"You don't have to answer this, Leon, but I feel I must ask anyway." I whispered to him, my voice almost a hiss, "That blond kid, Mikasi, was he…?"

"Yeah." Leon snarled in response, his hand tightening around mine as his face took on a sorrowful look, "He's the so-called friend who spread rumors about me when I was younger. The bastard who made me afraid of making friends."

I nodded, wrapping a wing around the taller male in a comforting embrace. "I'm sorry, Leon. Though I must tell you that the maturity and restraint you showed in response to him was truly impressive. I am very proud of you."

Leon blushed at my words, putting an arm around my shoulders in a return embrace. "It's much easier when I have such good friends behind me. And I did break his nose when I was younger."

"That's a lot better than what I'd tried to do to him." I muttered, leaning my head against Leon's shoulder, "I'm sure you don't need me to point this out to you, but I did try to kill him. It's only because of you that he's still alive at all."

Leon looked into my pained eyes, his own shining as he recognized the sorrow buried within my golden iris. He wrapped both arms around me, holding tightly as he sat next to me. Stroking a hand through my hair, he whispered in my ear.

"Don't blame yourself, Tria. Mikasi has always had a talent for bringing out the worst in people, and I shouldn't have challenged you while you were tired." He gave my shoulders one last squeeze before releasing me and standing up again. "Don't worry, Tria. Whatever is going on, we'll help you through it. We all will, and that's a promise."

"Thank you, Leon." I whispered back, lifting my wing from his shoulders and closing my eyes. I opened them again to see the taller male looking at me with great concern. He then turned and left the room, telling Elric to look after me as he passed him. Once the humans had left, leaving me with Elric and Nibbles, I used my wing-claw to grab some steak from the tray the Asian Wardens had brought.

"How are you feeling, Tria?" Elric asked me.

"Not too well, unfortunately." I replied, knowing he wouldn't accept anything less than the truth, "I know I have to eat, but I'm not sure I can."

"I can't say I blame you." Elric said, sitting at the foot of my bed, "You've been through a lot today."

"And the sun has barely begun its decent." I sighed, swallowing absently, "To think this could have weakened me so drastically…"

"Yes, it would seem that you can't push yourself as much as you used to, although even you must admit that you may have gone a little too far today. Trying to handle the situation with Kowloon and the T-rex Sue, then fighting Leon, all after not eating for a whole day."

"I've gone a whole day without eating before, Elric." I reminded my friend, "In fact, I've gone several days without eating and been fine."

"True, but you didn't try to take on so many stressful responsibilities at once while starved. And, of course, you didn't have that issue either." Elric reminded me in turn.

I just sighed again, returning grudgingly to my food. I wrapped my tail around Elric's waist, letting him pet it again while we sat in companionable silence. After a few minutes, Nibbles lifted his head and addressed both of us.

" _That issue you mentioned._ " he growled hesitantly, " _Is it the reason you lost control? Is it…"_

" _Yes, Nibbles. It is._ " I growled back, stroking his head, " _The conditions to get rid of it weren't met, so it's still here. Not all of it, but enough that I have to struggle to contain it._ " I hugged him to me when I saw the tears in his eyes. " _I'll be fine, buddy. I just need some help from time to time._ "

Nibbles whimpered, pressing his body against me, his distress clear. I felt Elric grip my tail and looked to see him glaring at the floor, the look on his face holding a clear meaning for me.

"Stop beating yourself up, Elric." I told him, lightly whacking his leg, "I already told you; this isn't your fault. If I hadn't wanted to come back, I wouldn't have. I knew the consequences, but I chose to return anyway. That was my decision, and no matter how much trouble this causes, I do not and will not regret it."

Elric smiled at me gratefully and Nibbles looked at me with admiration. After I ate a few more bites, I set my food aside, offering Nibbles the rest, and addressed my friend.

"Elric." I said, getting his attention, "I can't leave this room today. The Wardens will be watching. However, there is something I must do before tomorrow, and I need your help."

"Tria…" Elric muttered hesitantly. Recognizing the reason for his hesitation, I smiled and patted his hand with my tail, which I still had curled around him.

"Relax, Elric. It's nothing too strenuous, and I can take Nibbles and the rest of my team with me. All I need you to do is contact the man who brought the Wardens' Dino Gears to you when I needed their energy to help me recover after my revival."

"Are you sure, Tria?" Elric asked me, still hesitant. When I nodded resolutely, he sighed and stood up. "All right. I'll call him. Do you want to pay his price, or shall I?"

"I'll pay it." I replied, "You know where my money is kept. Tell him who it's from and bring him to me in the plaza once night falls. I'll be waiting there."

Elric nodded, helping me lay back down before leaving to do his assigned task. I slipped back into unconsciousness, trying to regain as much strength as I could before my meeting tonight, Nibbles curling up next to me as he joined me in dreamland.


	27. Escalating

I could already tell the cost of getting Sasuke as my Paleo Pal was money well-spent. I met him and Elric out in the plaza the evening I lost control, remembering to thank him for his role in my revival. As Elric returned to the Fossil Center to disguise my absence, the experienced ninja carried me to the plateau at the back of Autumn Garden, unseen by anyone. Just what I'd expect from Hanzo's older brother.

Once he'd left (at my insistence, though he'd offered to stay), I'd made my way into the sheltered area to see Kowloon and Olga. Zinodious and Gorgostroika sat at the back of the small clearing, eyeing me warily. I'd gone to apologize, but neither of the former BR lieutenants, nor their vivosaurs, would hear it. They'd recognized what had happened to me, and they knew better than any of the Wardens that my loss of control had not been voluntary. I stayed with them for a while, making sure they were all right and vice versa, before Kowloon and Zinodious complained about needing sleep. Neither were used to being pampered. Olga drove me back the Fossil Park Asia, her gentle, sincere smile calming my troubled mind. After that, I returned to the hospital room to find Elric sitting inside with a book in his hands. He greeted me with a nod, and I returned it, no need for words. I then curled up in my bed again, Nibbles undisturbed, and slept until morning.

After waking up to the smell of bacon and eggs and finding Penny and Mei Lian had brought breakfast to my room, I ate with them, answering their questions patiently with Elric and Nibbles' help. I then made my way to the Captain's office.

"Good morning, Tria." Stryker greeted me, "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Much better, thanks." I replied politely, not sure what else to say, "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused."

Stryker shook his head, waving off my apology. "Don't apologize, Tria. What happened yesterday wasn't your fault. We all just need to be more careful." I cringed at that, but said nothing. He continued, "You'd said that you had 'something to report and something to ask'. What do you have to report?"

"That I found another Warden candidate to keep an eye on." I replied, my tail thumping against the floor, "Daisy Fields. She has impressive instincts."

"Daisy Fields?" Stryker repeated, looking her up on his computer, "What do you mean she has 'impressive instincts'?"

"When I met with her in the Fossil Shop, she was able to sense my skill level at first glance, even though I was using my holographic disguise. She didn't recognize me, didn't know I had been a Warden, and yet she was still able to accurately assess my abilities. It's a useful talent, and one too few people possess. She'll make a good addition to the Wardens."

"I see." Stryker mumbled, the look on his face indicating that he was making a mental note of what I'd said. He then nodded and continued onto the next topic, "Now, what was it you wanted to ask?"

At that question, I tensed, my professional respect becoming wary as I turned my head to glance sideways at him. "Why was Hanzo following Olga and Kowloon?"

The Captain flinched, if only slightly, and flicked his eyes downward briefly, a slight look of guilt on his face. He then looked back at me with feigned confusion and asked, "What do you mean, Tria?"

"Don't insult me, Stryker." I growled at the high-ranking human, "Even if your expression just now hadn't given you away, I saw him standing on the roof of the Garage when Olga and Kowloon showed up during my…episode. He arrived with them, which indicated not only that he was with them, but, knowing the kinds of missions he's generally assigned to, that he'd been following them as well."

Stryker sat there quietly for a few moments, looking into my offended eyes, before sighing and resting his forehead against his interlaced fingers, closing his eyes with the pinched look of an oncoming headache.

"…Yes. You're right. I sent Hanzo to track down Kowloon, just to see where he was, and when he saw Olga heading out in the early morning, he decided to follow her."

"And she led him right to Kowloon's hiding place." I growled, clenching my fists and digging my claws into my palms, "I should've known you didn't trust me. Now that lapse in my judgement has endangered a member of my pack. Another thing I need to take care of."

"Now, just a minute, Tria!" Stryker spoke up, sounding as insulted as I felt, "We trust you completely! We've told you that many times!"

"It doesn't matter how many times you've told me so." I barked back, my wings extending as my posture became more aggressive, "Words are meaningless without action, and your actions show that you do not trust me."

"We do trust you!" Stryker yelled, standing up to face me more directly, "It's Kowloon we don't trust! He's dangerous, and we can't forget that! We don't intend to attack unless we see signs of suspicious behavior, just as we'd promised!"

"Kowloon's a member of my pack, and that means it's my responsibility to monitor him. You told me you'd leave him to me, so your alternative actions taken behind my back are a great offense to me!" I hissed viciously.

"We're just taking precautions!" Stryker argued, "Kowloon has been a serious threat to the Wardens for a long time! He's injured our comrades, as I'm sure you recall, so we need to be careful! You can't expect us to just accept Kowloon's presence without being wary!"

"Of course I don't expect that!" I growled back, "But I do expect you to trust me to handle him!"

"How?!" the Captain finally exclaimed, marching up to me, "How can you handle Kowloon when you can't even control yourself?!"

I snarled, spreading my wings and baring the claws on them. That's when the elevator doors opened to reveal a rather annoying beeping sound. Stryker and I turned to see Elric and Little running into the office, their expressions alarmed. I bared my teeth at the irritating device in Little's hands as the Captain snapped at the intruders.

"What are you two doing here?"

"I was just finishing the adjustments on my new invention." the Professor answered, his voice trembling, "I made it to detect the…um…" He gulped, adding quickly, "To detect if Tria was starting to lose control."

"It then started going off." Elric added as he placed a calming hand on my shoulder, pulling one of my wings down in the process, "It could've been a malfunction, but we decided to check anyway. Good thing we did…" I rested my head on his shoulder, his familiar scent calming me. He stroked his fingers through my hair in response.

"Is everything all right, Captain?" Little asked nervously, looking up at his superior. The older man looked from the young prodigy to his emissary to me before pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing.

"…Yes. Everything's fine." he said, "Things just got a little heated here."

"Just a little." I mumbled into Elric's shoulder. I then looked at the device Professor Little was holding. "I take it that's for me?"

"Yes. I made it so you could wear it on your wrist. If the danger of a loss of control begins to arise, it will start beeping, as you just witnessed. In addition, these lights will start flashing, with the colors changing depending on how much control you're losing." Professor Little explained to me, "Green is the lowest level, followed by yellow and red. We need to make sure it doesn't reach red."

"Understood." I replied, letting the young Professor put it on my wrist. When he looked up at me fearfully, I smiled gently and ruffled his hair.

"We'll debrief the rest of the Wardens later today." the Captain said, looking at me apologetically, "Tria. If you still feel up to it, I would like you to continue learning about the Warden candidates."

"Of course." I responded, looking at Stryker apprehensively, "On the condition that you call off your attempts to spy on Kowloon. I don't care who you send or why, no one is permitted to hunt or pursue him without speaking to me about it first." At the protest I could see forming on the human's lips, I insisted, "I will not have the Wardens harassing my packmate. Kowloon is a member of my pack, and as his alpha, I will fight to protect him."

The humans looked at each other, nervous at the thought of having to face me again, and nodded to me in confirmation.

"Very well." the Captain agreed grudgingly, "As you wish, Tria. We won't fight with you over this." When I nodded back, Stryker turned to his subordinate. "Elric, I would like you to gather the rest of the Wardens and bring them here. Professor, I want you to continue looking into this…issue."

"Yes sir." Elric and Little both answered. Elric and I left to do our assigned tasks, though neither of us missed that Little stayed behind, looking between me and the Captain with growing concern. Back in the lobby, Elric turned to me.

"Are you sure you're all right, Tria?" he asked me, "You almost attacked the Captain."

"He hit a nerve." I replied tensely, glaring at the elevator doors, "He doesn't know where his authority ends and mine begins."

"I thought you two shared a lot of authority." Elric argued, "The Wardens obey you, and some vivosaurs obey the Wardens. His subordinates and your underlings are closely intermingled."

"They are, but, as I said back in the office, I won't let members of his organization harm members of my pack. That's a line that must not be crossed."

"Agreed." Elric said, knowing better than to argue with me, "Well, I shall go gather the Wardens. Don't push yourself too hard, Tria. Remember, we're all here for you."

"Thank you, Elric." I said gratefully, giving my friend a quick hug before heading though the World Gate, activating my holographic disguise as I entered the classic Center of Fossil Park Europe.


	28. The Potential Duo

I stepped out into the sunlight of Fossil Park Europe, the image of my lightly-tan skin amusing me. The device Professor Little attached to my wrist was hidden by my holographic disguise, but I could still feel its presence. I walked out into the plaza, heading toward the duo Stryker had sent me to investigate. It seemed my timing couldn't have been better.

"I'm bored! Bored, bored, bored!" the male with the spikey hair yelled, stomping his foot in an agitated manner, "I need a thrashin' Fossil Battle to get me back in the swing of things! Chicka waaaa!"

"Calm down, old sport!" the other male cried, his prim and proper appearance contradicting the wild look of his companion, yet matching it somehow, "Such antics are likely to be ill-received in this place."

"Is everything all right?" I asked as I approached. The two males turned to me, the wild one looking excited and the proper one analytical.

"Hey! You there! You're a Warden, right?" the wild one said, the question not really a question.

"That's right." I replied casually.

"Awesome! Then you must be good in a fight, huh?" he said, his excitement continuing to increase, "I bet you blast out Boost Skills like the second encore, huh?! Boost Skills are the mark of a rockin' battle! Any fighter worth his weight uses them!"

"Is that right?" I asked rhetorically, noticing how the male's companion's thoughtful eyes widened in recognition and became awed.

"I say!" he exclaimed, stepping forward, "I believe this is Tria!"

"What?" the hyper male asked, looking from me to his companion and back, "No way! I thought you were just part of a Tria cover band!"

"There are cover bands of me?" I thought to myself, sweatdropping, as the proper male responded.

"No, this is the real deal. I'm sure of it!" he insisted, looking at me closely. I smiled back, laughing softly.

"Very well done, Prescott." I said, smirking as both males jolted when I deactivated my holographic disguise, "I'm glad to see such promising Warden candidates."

"WHOA!" Frett cried, staring at me with wide eyes, "You're even more awesome in person than on TV!"

"Thank you, Frett." I said easily, flexing my wings and crossing my arms. I looked at Prescott when he put a restraining hand on Frett's shoulder like Elric did with me.

"I suppose you already know this, Tria, but I shall make our introductions regardless." the calmer candidate said to me, his sense of manners higher than his companion's, "My name is Prescott Benedict. I am a Warden candidate."

"And I'm Frett Collins!" the wild one yelled, throwing an arm around Prescott's shoulders, "I'm a Fossil Battler!"

"So I recall." I said, smiling at them, "Well, as you know, my name's Tria Seishin. I'm the Commander of the Vivosaurs, and I'm meeting with the Warden candidates participating in the upcoming Warden Test."

"Seeing who to keep an eye on, eh?" Prescott asked knowingly.

"Oh yeah!" Frett cheered, "We're gonna rock this Warden Test! Chicka chick waaaa!"

"You're pretty intense." I stated, smiling at how familiar his energy was. I then flinched back slightly when Frett suddenly appeared in my face.

"I like your eyes!" he declared, much to my surprise, "You've got burning eyes! They've got the glint of a gambler! You feel the power of the boost! It's all CHICKA CHICKA WAAA WAAAAA!"

At my bewildered look, Prescott stepped forward. "Apologies for my colleague's sound effects, but I trust you understand the thrust of the message."

"Hm." I hummed, my fire burning with anticipation, "I detect a challenge."

"Wooo!" Frett cheered in response, "It's battlin' time!"

"If you're going to battle, I recommend you ready yourself." Prescott added, "We shall meet you at the battle site. Oh, and this will be a tag-team battle against Frett and myself."

"A tag-team battle, eh?" I asked myself, grinning in excitement.

"Gonna show 'em what I got! Gonna battle till I can't stop! Wooooooooo!" Frett continued yelling.

"Er, yes." Prescott mumbled, meeker in the face of his companion's hyper cheering, "Be aware that Frett wields a Cerato TZ. It's Boost Skill is most powerful. Whereas I have a Proto skilled in all manner of battle techniques. How delightful!" He smiled proudly at the thought of his vivosaur partner before addressing me more directly again, "So that's the lay of the land, old sport. Will you accept the challenge?"

"Bring it on!" I replied confidently, "I have never backed down from a challenge!"

"That's what I'm talkin' about! This battle's gonna SHRED!" Frett cheered.

"We shall meet again at Yodel Hills! I trust you will have a pleasant journey." Prescott said to me, smiling happily at my acceptance of their challenge.

"Yeah!" Frett yelled in agreement, jumping around excitedly before rushing toward the Garage, "Outdoors! It's a free concert now! Wooooooo! Enough of this opening act banter! Let's get the rodies and rollout!"

"Would you please calm yourself?!" Prescott called after his companion exasperatedly, "I swear, it's like watching over a child…"

"I wanna use Boost Skills until I puke!" Frett cried, his energy refusing to fade.

"Er, yes. We will definitely give it our all." Prescott agreed before muttering, "Dear me, what a horrid image…"

I chuckled to myself as I watched them go, the nostalgia at their interactions warming my heart. I then pulled out my phone and dialed a number that I had long memorized, calling the friend who would join me in the tag-team battle with Frett and Prescott.


	29. Boost Battle

I didn't have to wait long for Elric to arrive. He was already in Fossil Park Europe finding the European Wardens for the meeting about the device monitoring me. He had been about to return to Fossil Park Asia when I'd called him, so instead of returning to the Captain, he met me in the square.

"Hello, Tria." he greeted me casually, "What's this about a tag-team battle?"

"I met with the two most promising Warden candidates, and they challenged me to a tag-team battle against them. I thought you would like to join me, for old times' sake."

"Hm. I suppose I could join you. As the Captain's emissary, it would be wise for me to learn about them." Elric replied, walking with me to the Garage, "Who are you going to use in this fight?"

"Myself." I replied, "I want to fight these two personally."

"What?!" Elric exclaimed, "Are you sure that's a good idea, Tria? After yesterday's…incident, should you really be fighting so soon?"

"I'll be fine, Elric." I assured my friend, "I'm in a pretty good mood right now, and I doubt these two will anger me enough to cause a problem. Besides…" I let Elric onto my back and flew through the portal to Yodel Hills, searching for the two Bone Buggies I'd seen Frett and Prescott driving. "I have a feeling you'll want to face them with me like this, and that they'll benefit from watching us in action."

"Oh?" Elric asked, looking at me curiously, but I didn't say anything more. I simply flew to the clearing where the Carchar normally resided. The Carchar itself was absent, quarreling with the Sucho that ran around the site elsewhere. In its place sat two Bone Buggies: a yellow Turf Shredder and a silver Heavy Hauler.

"Hey, Tria! You finally showed up! Let's get this party started!" Frett yelled when he saw me.

"I hope you're ready for a fight, old sport." Prescott called to me, "Who is this you've brought with you?"

"My name is Elric Bellamy." Elric answered through his own radio earpiece, "I am Captain Stryker's emissary and an old friend of Tria's."

"He's my teammate for this fight." I added, "Are you two ready?"

"Heck yeah!" Frett cheered, sending out his Air-type Cerato TZ, "It's time to ROCK!"

"We won't go easy on you, Tria." Prescott informed me as he sent out his Earth-type Proto.

"And we'll show you the same courtesy." Elric replied, sending out a vivosaur he'd been training: the Water-type Mapo. He then tightened his grip on me reflexively as I activated my battle form.

"WHOA!" Frett cried in amazement.

"So that's your battle form…" Prescott whispered in awe, "I'd heard it was incredible, but I never imagined this. And now we get to face it in battle. What an honor…"

"I suggest you admire her afterward." Elric told the Warden candidates, "Or you may find this battle over before you know it." I roared in agreement.

"Ha! As if!" Frett laughed, "We don't care how awesome you look, Tria! We're gonna CRUSH YOU! Chicka chicka waa!"

"Well said, old sport!" Prescott agreed, "Proto! Dome Dash!"

The small ceratopsian whistled challengingly and charged at Mapo, his experience recognizing the elemental advantage he held over the Water-type.

"We won't take this, Mapo!" Elric called to his newest vivosaur, "Blazing Cannon!"

Mapo roared, opening his massive jaws and firing a blast of water at the Earth-type.

"Evade it, Proto! Spin Drop!" Prescott ordered.

Proto smirked and leapt into the air, spinning as he rolled over Mapo's attack. As he hung in the air, another order was called.

"Cerato TZ! Rising Upper!"

At Frett's command, the Air-type carnivore charged forward and slammed his silver-horned nose into Mapo's chin, throwing him into an unbalanced stance.

"Get 'em, Prescott!" Frett called to his partner.

"On it!" Prescott replied before commanding, "Now, Proto! Flying Smash!"

Proto screamed down at his opponent, diving down from his place still hanging in the air. He aimed to slam into Mapo's chest, but his attack was intercepted by my tail, which threw him back. He landed on his feet next to Cerato TZ, glaring at me for having interfered with his attack.

"Thanks, Tria." Elric said from his place on my back, "What do you say we put an end to this little game?" I roared in response, extending my wings as my natural authority shook the clearing.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Prescott responded, "We're not done, old sport!" He then turned to his teammate and called, "Now, Frett!"

"Yeah! Check these fat licks!" Frett yelled, throwing his fist in the air as he called out, "Now Cerato TZ! Crusher Charge!"

Cerato TZ roared in response, gathering the elemental energy he and his teammate had stored over the course of the battle. He then charged forward, unleashing his Boost Skill on Mapo. Despite the Water-type carnivore's larger size, he couldn't stand up to the power of the Air-type's strongest attack. He disappeared in a flash of light, returning to Elric as a Dino Gear with a growl of apology.

"You did well, Mapo." Elric told his youngest partner, "Tria and I will finish this." I purred in agreement.

"Perfect solo!" Frett yelled triumphantly.

"This battle's gonna be one for the papers!" Prescott declared.

" _Indeed it will._ " I howled confidently, exchanging a quick glance with Elric. He nodded back to me, a devious smirk on his face.

"Well then, Tria, they've shown us their full power. Shall we return the favor?" he asked me rhetorically. I grinned, extending my wings as Elric put on his sunglasses.

"Hey, bro, what's with the shades?" Frett asked curiously. Elric laughed, smirk still in place.

"For this attack, I'm gonna need them." he replied simply.

"Keep your head in the game, old sport!" Prescott called to Frett, "We're facing the Commander of the Vivosaurs! She should never be taken lightly!"

" _A bit too late for that, little one._ " I snarled sadistically as the glow of my scales intensified, " _You're finished!_ "

"WHOA! What's going on?!" Frett cried as he shielded his eyes.

"Tria's attacking! Don't let your guard down!" Prescott called.

"Too late." Elric repeated for me, loosening his grip on my neck once I'd returned to my place on the field, "It's over."

There were a few moments of confusion from our opponents and the inevitable audience. The fighters on the other side of the field then noticed that their vivosaurs had returned to their Dino Gears, and the audience noticed that I was standing alone in the clearing.

"Wh-Wh-" Prescott stuttered, speechless.

"What was THAT?!" Frett cried in shock.

"That…" Elric answered proudly, patting my neck in praise, "…was Tria's Boost Skill. The Wrath of the Guardian."

"Tria has a Boost Skill?!" Frett exclaimed, staring at me with sparkling eyes.

"Quite incredible." Prescott whispered in awe, "I suppose it should be expected from the Commander of the Vivosaurs."

"Come on, you two." Elric said, addressing the two Warden candidates directly, "We should return to the Fossil Park. This crowd won't disperse otherwise."

"Crowd?" Frett asked, looking around at the mass of Bone Buggies surrounding the clearing.

"I hadn't even notice a crowd…" Prescott mumbled in embarrassment.

"It's pretty common when one battles Tria in a public place. She does tend to attract attention." Elric answered, his pride in my abilities and popularity adding to his natural cockiness. I purred, nudging the two Bone Buggies out of the clearing. When they drove off, I took off, following the two Warden candidates back to Fossil Park Europe. As I flew, I felt Elric grip my mane in a way I'd learned to recognize as an attempt to get my attention. When I rumbled in acknowledgement and shifted back to my true form, he spoke in my ear.

"How are you feeling, Tria?" he asked me, looking at me from over my shoulder.

"Pretty good, actually." I answered, smiling at him happily, "That battle was quite refreshing, and it was nice to bear witness to so much potential, don't you think?"

"It was rather nostalgic as well, watching them interact." Elric added, exchanging a knowing look with me, "So that's why you wanted me to join you."

"I'll be willing to bet that, if they keep working together when they join the Wardens, they'll become as in tune with each other as we are." I said, and Elric nodded in agreement, smiling contentedly as we flew through the portal. We met with Frett and Prescott in the plaza.

"Aw, man! I just borked my solo!" Frett cried, a slight pout on his face.

"Still, it was a sporting bit of fun!" Prescott stated, smiling at me and Elric before turning back to his partner, "Don't you agree, Frett?"

Frett looked up at us, his pout suddenly giving way to a face-splitting grin. "Heck yeah! It was HOT! Chicka chicka waa!"

"He does seem quite familiar, eh, Tria?" Elric whispered in my ear, smirking mischievously as I growled back in the vivosaur equivalent of " _Shut up._ "

"Oh yeah!" Frett suddenly yelled, jumping up in our faces, "We got a little parting gift for you, Tria! You too, Elric!"

"For us?" Elric and I asked, glancing at each other in confusion, "What is it?"

Frett threw his fist in the air, declaring proudly, "We're gonna team up and form a super group!"

At the shocked expressions from me and Elric, Prescott stepped forward, smiling hopefully at us. "As ones who walk the Warden path, I'm sure there's much we can learn from each other, old sport." He looked at us pleadingly. "So, what do you say?"

Elric and I looked at each other again, nodding with unspoken communication before turning back to the two Warden candidates and smiling.

"I'm in!" I declared, my tail thrashing joyfully.

"As am I." Elric added, "I look forward to working with you two."

"Excellent." Prescott replied, sighing with relief. Frett pumped his fists in the air again.

"So let's rock until out skivvies fall off!" he cheered, his original energy returning.

"Agreed, though a gentleman should never be seen in public without his undergarments." Prescott mumbled, cringing at his companion's choice of words.

"I should hope not!" I agreed, laughing.

"Indeed." Elric said, before earning a whack on the leg from my tail when he added under his breath, "I suppose we shouldn't mention that you don't wear them, Tria."

"Well, it truly has been fun, but we must be off. The Warden Test is only three days away, and we must prepare for it." Prescott stated, grabbing Frett's arm and dragging him off, ignoring the other boy's protests to address us, "Thank you again, Tria, Elric. Next time we meet, it will be as fellow Wardens."

"We look forward to it." Elric said for the both of us.

"Hey! Wait a minute! I don't wanna go back to studying! It's so boring!" Frett cried, struggling fruitlessly, "Tria! Save me!"

"Sorry, Frett, but I've got a leash of my own." I apologized, sensing more than seeing Elric cross his arms.

"They really are just like us." Elric stated, smiling with nostalgia. I purred, shifting my wings as I looked at the device on my wrist.

"Seems to have improved my mood quite a bit as well." I agreed happily. I then looked at my pocket curiously as my phone started ringing. I put it to my ear and answered with a casual, "Hello?"

"Tria?" Nate's voice came through the receiver, "Are you busy?"

"I'm always busy." I answered, before adding when I heard him sigh with disappointment, "But things seem slack at the moment. What do you need?"

"I…" he whimpered hesitantly, "I have a favor to ask of you. Could you come to the plaza in Fossil Park Asia?"

"Sure thing, Nate. I'm on my way." I replied, hanging up and turning to Elric, "Nate needs me. I'll see you later, Elric."

"Until later, then, Tria." Elric replied, grabbing my wing before I could walk away, "And remember, Tria. Be careful."

"I will, Elric." I assured my friend, smiling gently. Elric nodded, letting go of my wing. I walked through the World Gate, heading to Fossil Park Asia to see what my pink-haired comrade was asking of me.


	30. A Brother's Strength

I entered the Asian Fossil Center, the receptionist greeting me as she always did, and made my way into the plaza, where I saw the pink-haired male waiting for me.

"Heya, Tria." Nate greeted me, his voice grave, "I've got a request for you. And boy, oh boy, is it the favor of a lifetime!"

"What's up?" I asked, tilting my head and eyeing my friend curiously.

Nate scratched the back of his head nervously. "I don't think I ever mentioned this." he muttered, "But I have a sister named Maggie. She's…" He paused, swallowing nothing, before continuing, "Well, she's pretty sick, actually. She's in the hospital and about to undergo a major operation."

"Oh no!" I cried, the sympathy in my voice making him look at me.

"Yeah, I know. Crazy, huh?" he said sadly, "But that's not the worst part. See, I was visiting her earlier, and she looked pretty down, so this idea kind of came into my head…" He paused again, biting his lip, before clenching his fists and looking at me with wide eyes equally determined and terrified. "I told her I'd win the next Fossil Battle tourney and dedicate it to her!"

"That's a nice idea." I said, smiling encouragingly.

"I thought it might give her strength or whatever." Nate continued, "But the truth is, I'm not sure I CAN win that tournament." He then stepped closer to me, looking into my eyes pleadingly. "Please, Tria! You gotta help me! Join my team and battle with me! I don't stand a chance without you! If you don't help, they'll make dogfood out of me, and then Maggie will go into her operation knowing her brother's a loser."

"Calm down, Nate!" I yelled, stopping his ramble, "Of course I'll help. Let's do it for Maggie!"

Nate stared at me for a second. Then his face split into the widest grin I'd ever seen on him. "Oh, man! You're the BEST! Now I actually stand a chance of keeping my totally foolhardy promise!" He then sobered slightly as he brought his eyebrows together in thought. "Still, we're gonna need a third person. Who do you think we should ask?"

I thought for a moment, but before I could make a suggestion, another presence entered my senses.

"Hey, guys? What are you doing?"

"Hey, Penny." Nate greeted his Asian comrade, "Well, it's kind of a long story, but…"

"Nate's sister, Maggie, is in the hospital about to undergo a major operation. Nate promised to win the next tournament for her, and has asked me to help. Now we need a third team member." I explained, knowing how Nate tended to ramble. Penny's eyes became wide and horrified.

"Your poor sister!" she exclaimed, gripping Nate's hands as tears entered her eyes, "If you don't win this tournament, her faith in humanity could just wither away!" She then placed her hands on her hips, almost glaring at us in her determination. "I'm not going to let that happen! I'm entering this tourney with you! There's no way the three of us can lose!"

"Aw, thanks, Penny! You're the best!" Nate said, smiling at the blond gratefully, "The tournament is called the Leidy Cup. It's being held here in the Fossil Stadium."

"And it's about to start. Let's go!" Penny cried, grabbing both of our wrists and dragging us into the Stadium. Or, at least, she tried to.

"What's the hold up, Tria?" Nate asked when he and Penny were jerked to a halt by their inability to move me.

"Is something wrong, Tria?" Penny asked, her voice cutting from annoyed to concerned as she remembered yesterday's events and what they'd done to me.

"I was just thinking about who should fight with me in this tournament. The vivosaur, I mean." I replied easily, "I don't carry many vivosaurs with me anymore…"

"You're pretty good at fighting on your own, Tria." Nate said, his tone suggesting, "You could-"

"You're NOT battling directly." Penny snapped, the scolding directed more toward Nate than me.

"I know that." I replied, much to the shock of both Wardens, "I've already been in one battle today. Elric'll have my hide if I get into another one." Before either Warden could comment about my previous battle, I pulled out a Dino Gear and spoke to the vivosaur, " _Well, my young friend, think you can help us out?_ "

" _Of course._ " the vivosaur's voice replied, " _There is nothing more important than family! We shall show them the power of the herd!_ "

" _Excellent._ " I growled back, returning him to my pocket before activating my holographic disguise, "All right, let's go."

"Why are you using your disguise?" Nate asked, startled by my sudden human image.

"Because this is your show, Nate." I replied, smiling at the pink-haired male, "My true form attracts attention, but my human form does not." I squeezed his shoulder, communicating as much confidence as I could to him. "This is your show, Nate, not mine. Therefore, it's your job to be the center of the tournament. You are the leader this time; we are your support."

Nate began shaking and pointed at himself with a trembling finger, his eyes wide and shocked. "Th-The leader? M-Me?"

"Who else?" Penny asked, grabbing his arm, "It's your sister we're doing this for, so it's you who is leading our team!"

Nate grinned at both of us, his gratitude making his eyes shine. We marched into the Fossil Stadium together, Nate registering us for the Leidy Cup. We headed into the waiting area, with me using an unmarked Bone Buggy the Parks lent me when needed. When our turn came, we drove into the arena.

"We've gotta do our best for Maggie!" Penny called to us, "Nate! Tria! Fight with everything you've got!"

"You got it!" Nate called back.

"You know I will!" I added.

Our opponents sent out their team. The Toba, smaller and younger than Elric's partner, swayed its head intimidatingly. It was flanked by two ceratopsians: the Neutral-type Penta and Air-type Styraco. Nate sent out his partner, the small, sailed Edapho sizing up Penta. Penny's Hypsi focused her gaze on Styraco, recognizing the type advantage she held. And I sent out the companion I'd chosen for this tournament, the long silver body gleaming in the late-morning light as Diplo faced off against Toba, his type advantage combined with his experience battling Elric's partner giving him a calm confidence.

The two ceratopsians wasted no time in charging at us, aiming for the two smaller vivosaurs on my team. Toba hung back, watching for an opening.

"Hypsi! Chaotic Chord!" Penny ordered. Her vivosaur jumped in front of her teammates, keeping them out of the range of her attack, before unleashing the wild song on her charging opponents. Styraco, being weak to the Fire-type's attack, staggered and collapsed onto its forehand. Penta, while not collapsing from the attack, became too confused to avoid its collapsed teammate and tripped over it, falling onto its face in front of Edapho.

"Edapho! Ground Strike!" Nate commanded. Edapho growled as he waddled forward, using his forelegs to slam the larger Neutral-type into the ground. He prepared to strike again, but stopped when the arena began to shake with the force of Toba's charge. The jewel on its head was glowing, indicating the activation of Divine Thunder.

"Diplo! Rolling Whip!" I issued my command. Diplo's violet eyes narrowed at the heavier sauropod, glaring at its confidence. He spun around, using his tail to trip his Water-type opponent. When he'd used the move on Elric's Toba, the sauropod had simply fallen forward, but since this Toba was smaller, it flipped over onto its back, landing on Penta and Styraco as Hypsi and Edapho just barely evaded it. The two ceratopsians disappeared and returned to their fighters, leaving Toba alone as it struggled to its feet.

"Let's finish this, Nate!" Penny called to her familiar teammate.

"Way ahead of you, Penny!" Nate called back, "Edapho! Uppercut Rush!"

Edapho growled again, grinning sadistically, and marched up to the large sauropod confidently. He then leapt with surprising grace and struck Toba's chin, throwing it into an unbalanced stance.

"Now, Hypsi! Middle Kick!" Penny yelled to her partner. Hypsi chirped cheerfully and bounced over to the weakened sauropod, slamming her feet into its chest and sending it back to its fighter as a Dino Gear. Our vivosaur howled victoriously.

"We did it!" Nate cheered happily, "We won the first round!"

"Let's keep going!" Penny cried, smiling proudly.

"For Maggie!" I added, to which both of them cheered again.

The rest of the tournament progressed similarly to the first battle. Penny and Nate had impeccable teamwork developed over their careers as Wardens. Diplo and I played more of a supportive role than was usual for us, but as I had said earlier, this wasn't our show. Our job was to support Nate in his fight for his sister. Soon, the final battle was upon us.

"I may not be the best brother in the world." Nate said as we faced our final opponents, "But I'm there when it counts. Come on, everyone! Let's show these guys how it's done!"

"That's the spirit, Nate!" Penny called encouragingly, "Tria and I will give it our all, too! The championship will be ours!"

"Nothing can stop us!" I roared challengingly, the thrill of battle fueling my fire.

Just looking at the opposing team told me that this battle would be tough. A Ptera soared quickly through the air, its agility making it a tricky target to hit. The armored Saichan swung its clubbed tail confidently, the fiery spikes covering its body glowing in the sun. And leading the team was a massive T-rex Sue, her size and volcanic power ready to scorch the battlefield in a blaze of destruction. Our team stood proudly against their opponents, their own confidence allowing no room for nerves.

The Ptera, true to its quick, hasty nature, was the first to attack, diving toward Diplo with its beak ready to skewer the Earth-type sauropod.

"Hypsi! Chaotic Chord!" Penny commanded, mimicking the start of the first battle of the tournament. The Fire-type sang her wild song, the confusion lessening the pterosaur's accuracy and making it drop from the sky. It dropped straight into the path of Diplo's tail and was swatted to the back of the field. Saichan charged at Diplo in retaliation, but the large sauropod spun around and swatted the smaller herbivore away too, knocking it onto its back. As the spiked vivosaur flailed in an attempt to right itself, Hypsi jumped on its stomach and pecked at the soft skin. Saichan screamed in pain before disappearing in a flash of light as it noticed Diplo's incoming feet. Diplo howled in triumph, but his voice then turned into a scream of pain as he was struck by Ptera's beak. My vivosaur staggered backward, trying to regain his footing, as the flying vivosaur prepared another strike.

"Hypsi! Soothing Song!" Penny called. Hypsi sang again, the calmer tune distracting the pterosaur long enough for it to be swatted out of the sky again, this time by Diplo's Neck Breaker. It returned to its fighter as a Dino Gear.

"Yeah! We're on a roll!" Penny yelled happily.

"Just one more to-" I began, before my eyes widened and I called out, "Hypsi! Look out!"

Hypsi started at my sudden command, but before she could react, she was crushed in the jaws of the forgotten T-rex Sue. She returned to Penny as T-rex Sue was driven back with a whack to the nose from Diplo's tail.

"Hypsi!" Penny cried.

"I'm sorry, Penny!" Nate called to his friend, "Edapho was holding her back, but he can't keep up with her!"

"Don't worry, Nate!" I called to him, "Diplo and I have your back!" Diplo bellowed in agreement. He then screamed again as the massive carnivore bit down on his neck. He tried to escape, slamming his head and tail into her flanks, but the fiery vivosaur was battle-experienced and wouldn't fall to pain. She threw Diplo to the ground, sending him back to me in a flash of light.

"Uh oh…" Nate muttered as Edapho faced the T-rex Sue, the carnivore holding an advantage in size, ability, and elemental type. The carnivore roared and charged at the small Air-type, jaws agape to bring him down the same way she had Edapho's teammates. Nate sobbed, "This is it! We're finished! I'm sorry, Maggie!"

"Don't give up, Nate!" Penny called to him, "You can do it! We believe in you! Maggie believes in you!"

"I can't do this!" Nate cried as he watched Edapho narrowly avoid T-rex Sue's Deadly Fangs, "Look at this thing! I can't beat it! I can't win this alone!"

"Nate." I snapped, glaring at the male on my screen, "You are not alone. Edapho is with you, fighting for you. Do not forget him."

Nate looked at me through his screen, tears in his eyes. He then looked at his vivosaur partner, who was looking back at his fighter pleadingly, waiting for his orders. "I didn't…"

"Listen to me, Nate." I said, my tone gentler, but still too strong to ignore, "You have faced worse than this. You have faced off against much stronger opponents in much more dire situations. You got through those, and you'll get through this, too." I looked into his blue-green eyes to make sure I had his full attention before continuing, "You need to be strong now, not just for yourself, but for Maggie as well. Your sister needs you to be strong, your vivosaur needs you to be strong, and you need you to be strong. Fight with everything you have, as a strong fighter, as a loyal Warden, and as a devoted brother!"

"But…" Nate whimpered, looking at his foe, "But how…?"

"Same way you helped defeat another powerful predator some time ago." I told him, glancing at the Boost Skill gauge, "It's full, you know."

"It's full?" Penny and Nate repeated together. Penny followed my gaze onto her own screen and gasped.

"Nate!" she cried, startling the poor boy, "The Boost Skill bar! Use your Boost Skill!"

"Oh, right!" Nate exclaimed as his eyes went wide as well. His eyes then narrowed in determination as he turned back to the battle, exchanging a confident glance with his vivosaur before commanding calmly, "Edapho! Sail Assailant!"

Edapho shrieked to the sky, announcing to his opponent his will to fight. He gathered his Air-type energy as he marched up to the T-rex Sue confidently and spun around, slamming his sail into the carnivore's head and throwing her to the ground before extending his sail into her chest and sending her back to her fighter. Her Dino Gear shot into her fighter's Bone Buggy and the audience went wild.

"Yes! We're the champs!" Nate cheered ecstatically.

"You did it, Nate!" Penny yelled happily, a grin that could rival Sean and Becky's on her face.

"Well done, Nate!" I praised the pink-haired Warden.

As we walked out of the Stadium, we were met by a group of reporters, and the uproar they created hurt my ears. Even so, I couldn't help but smile when one of the reporters asked for a statement and Penny prodded Nate.

"Nate! Maggie might be watching this! Say something inspirational!" she whispered to him.

"Huh? Oh, right! Yeah!" Nate started, looking at the ground nervously and clearing his throat, "Ok, here goes…" He looked directly into the camera and spoke, his voice filled with emotion, "Are you watching, Maggie? I did it! Your brother did it! He fought like a champion and came out a winner, so now it's your turn to do the same! I know you can do it, Sis! I believe in you!" He flashed a grin of his own before turning back to us. "Did I sound okay? It kinda came rushing out there at the end."

"That was wonderful, Nate!" I assured the nervous boy, smiling gently. Penny sniffled.

"Oh, Nate." she said, sounding on the verge of tears, "That was beautiful."

"Oh, man. That's good." Nate sighed with relief, "I was so nervous!" He then got the energetic, childlike expression that indicated he was about to start rambling and my own smile became exasperated as he continued, "I had to pee the entire time. It's like a geyser in my pants. I hope I don't wet myself…"

I looked at the interviewer, who had become quite awkward during Nate's ramble, and spoke up hesitantly, "Um…you DO know we're still on live television, right?"

"Wh-What?!" Nate cried, his face turning bright red. Penny had turned a shade vaguely reminiscent of Nate's hair. I just giggled in amusement. "No! Cut to a commercial! CUT TO A COMMERCIAL!" He then ran out of the Stadium as the interviewer burst out laughing. Penny ran after him, and I followed after bidding the viewers watching a cheerful farewell. After about 10 minutes of looking in the plaza, we found Nate sitting on a row of bike racks on the edge of the parking lot. We walked up to him.

"Nate?" Penny asked hesitantly, "Are you okay?"

"Man…" Nate muttered, burying his face in his hands, "I'm never gonna live this down! I just told the whole world I needed to pee! If I had a social life, it would be over right now! I'm gonna go dig a hole and live in it for the rest of my life."

"Oh, Nate…" Penny whispered, placing a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. That's when I cut in.

"Was Maggie watching?" I asked.

"Yeah." he replied, still subdued, "I called her a little while ago. She couldn't stop laughing." He then perked up and looked at us in sudden realization. "Hey, wait!" he exclaimed, "That means I cheered her up! So maybe it WAS worth it!"

"Whatever it takes!" I said as Penny hugged the taller male.

"Thanks for everything, guys." Nate thanked both of us, "I could NOT have done this without you!"

"Of course!" Penny replied, her arms still around Nate's neck, "That's what friends are for! Whenever there's a problem, we drop everything to help each other out!"

"That's right!" I said, "Well, I'd better get back to work. See you guys later!"

"All right." Nate replied, waving to me, "Well, see you around, Tria. Thanks again!"

"Later, Tria!" Penny called in farewell.

I waved back at them and started to head back toward the Fossil Center. However, I then heard Nate call to me.

"Hey, wait, Tria! What did you mean? When you mentioned me taking out something strong? What were you talking about?"

I didn't respond, simply waving at them over my shoulder once more before entering the Center, heading off to do my next task.


	31. The Posh Pair

When I exited the World Gate, I found myself back in Fossil Park Europe. I didn't have a destination in mind, but since I was there, I decided to look around to see if there was anyone in need of assistance, or if there was anything out of the ordinary. I soon found both.

"Alas and alack! Whatever shall we do?" a woman with long pink hair and pink eyes exclaimed to another woman with short blue hair and blue eyes. Both women were practically covered with jewels, rubies on the pink-haired woman and sapphires on the blue-haired woman. The pink-haired woman then spotted me. "Mmm? I say! Is this child a Warden?"

"Child?" I muttered, more to myself than to either of the women.

"Excuse me? Warden? Pray, might we beg a boon of you?" the pink-haired asked me directly.

"Maybe." I said simply, arching an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"It should be little trouble for one of your professional standing, I assure you." the blue-haired woman stated.

"Riiiiiiiiiight…" I muttered, "But what's the favor?"

"Ah, yes. Straight to the point." the blue-haired said, nodding approvingly, "I like that. Yes, I like it ever so much. Mmm…"

"Still waiting…" I hummed, tapping my foot impatiently.

"Right. Sorry." the blue-haired apologized, not sounding the least bit sincere, "It turns out we are on the hunt for a professional jewel excavator."

"Oh?" I asked, not really surprised, "And you want me to do it?"

The pink-haired suddenly stepped forward, looking down at me haughtily.

"We won't join forces with any old riff raff from the local orphanage!" she declared, her self-important tone beginning to annoy me, "Only the best will do for this mission."

"Indeed." the blue one agreed, "So, little Warden, do you suppose you could find a professional jewel excavator for us?"

I was looking at the irritating pair with annoyance. Unfortunately, with my holographic disguise making me appear human, my glare didn't have its usual power. I was about to reply when another voice, louder than any one person should be, reached my ears.

"TRIA!" the voice of the redhead racer called to me, "I FINALLY found you!"

"Hey there, Dahlia." I said, my own voice far calmer than the other girl's, "What's up?"

"I've been looking all over for you!" Dahlia informed me, "I have a little something to tell you."

"Oh yeah?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at my friend, "And what would that be?"

Dahlia was about to answer, but the blue-haired woman stepped in.

"Did you say Tria?" she asked, eyeing me skeptically, "The Vivosaur Commander?"

"That's right." Dahlia replied, annoyed at having been interrupted, "And just who the heck are you?"

"I thought the Vivosaur Commander was some kind of dinosaur girl from the past." the blue-haired stated, glancing between me and Dahlia.

"I am." I replied, deactivating my holographic disguise. The blue-haired jumped, surprised by my sudden transformation. Her expression then returned to the superior smile that seemed to be her default as she turned back to the pink-haired woman, who had been ignoring us for much of this conversation.

"What about this one, dear sister?" she asked the pink-haired woman expectantly, "This might just be the ticket."

"This?" I thought, slightly insulted, "Not 'Tria' or even 'she', but 'this'?"

"Really?" the pink-haired asked, eyeing me for a moment before spontaneously brightening, "Well then, step forward! Hello, hello!"

"Uh, hi?" I said, becoming increasingly wary of the two odd women.

"Hello yourself." Dahlia added, crossing her arms and glaring at the women, "Now tell us who you are."

"My name is Ruby Bling." the pink-haired one announced, though she clearly wasn't responding to Dahlia; she had yet to even acknowledge her.

"And I am her younger sister, Sapphire Bling." the blue-haired one introduced herself, her demeanor more subdued than her bright-eyed sister.

"We are a pair of jewel-hunting vixens known far and wide as the Posh Pair!" they both finished in unison, placing their backs together and posing, Ruby with her hand behind her head and Sapphire with her arms crossed. Dahlia and I sweatdropped.

"Riiiight…" I muttered, my tail thrashing with the irritation I wouldn't allow my face or voice to show.

"If you're really known far and wide…" Dahlia growled, her own annoyance quickly turning into anger, "Then how come we've never heard of you?"

The Bling sisters continued to ignore the racing Warden, their focus solely on me.

"You've surely done your fair share of jewel-excavating, yes?" Sapphire asked me, "Perhaps you would help a pair of beautiful ladies."

Dahlia was about to protest, but Ruby interrupted her.

"We're searching for the Crossbone Jewel that's rumored to be in Winding Road. It's supposed to be worth a FORTUNE, darling!" she stated ecstatically.

"Then why don't you two go get it yourselves?" Dahlia asked, her temper flaring. This time, the sisters responded.

"Well, we'd go dig ourselves, but all that dirt and grime just seems so…unseemly." Ruby replied, shuddering, before stating easily, "And since your clothes are already covered in all manner of muck, it just makes more sense for you to dig it up instead."

Dahlia looked ready to go on an insulted rant against the two women, but she was interrupted again, this time by the blue woman.

"Could we possibly impose upon you to head out into the wild and dig it up for us? Mmm?"

I could tell that Dahlia was about to turn them down in a rather rude manner, so I put a clawed hand on her shoulder and said in a tone of feigned cheerfulness, "Why not?"

"How simply divine of you!" Ruby cooed, "Just remember to treat the jewel gently, yes? We don't need your loutish hands chipping it!"

"And just so you remember, you can find our Crossbone Jewel inside Winding Road." Sapphire reminded me, "Just bring it back here when you're done, yes?" When I nodded, she nodded back and responded with a "Yes, quite."

"Good luck and all that." Ruby added as Dahlia and I headed for the Garage before waving and calling to us, "Toodle-oo!"

"You seemed awfully willing to help those two prissy girls, Tria." Dahlia grumbled to me as we entered the Garage.

"It's not a difficult request, and it won't take long." I replied simply, "And they aren't actually as bad as they sound. They were clearly raised to think they're superior to everyone else; it's not their fault." When Dahlia still looked unconvinced, I leaned in closer to her and whispered, "Also, helping people will lessen the likelihood that I'll have another…episode…of what happened yesterday, which, although you didn't directly witness, you were no doubt debriefed on."

Dahlia's breath hitched in her throat and her eyes widened. I saw her glance at the device on my wrist. I simply grabbed her hands to regain her attention.

"Would you like to accompany me, Dahlia?" I asked the redhead, "This little task really won't take very long, and then you can tell me that 'little something' you mentioned earlier." I then realized how forceful that sounded and added, "Of course, you can also wait here, or you can head out to a dig site or something like that, and I can call you when I'm done, or-"

"I'm coming with you!" Dahlia declared, her vehemence startling me, "We never get to hang out anymore, so I'm sticking to you like glue!"

"Sounds good!" I accepted happily, gripping Dahlia's hands before releasing her so she could run to her red-and-white Speed Demon. I then jumped into the passenger seat as she drove through the portal to Winding Road, the speeding vehicle filled with the companionable chatter I hadn't even realized I'd been missing.


	32. Queens of Speed

True to my word, the retrieval of the Crossbone Jewel did not take very long. I did insist on cleaning it myself, since Dahlia's hastiness would no doubt have damaged it at least a little bit. The part of the little errand I enjoyed the most, however, was riding in Dahlia's Speed Demon. Her driving closely resembled my own movements, and my ability to rest while she drove only added to its appeal.

After we gave the Crossbone Jewel (which was basically a white ruby) to the Posh Pair, they both became my Paleo Pals, much to Dahlia's dismay. Ruby called me out on not looking 'very happy' about it, but left it there without waiting for me to reply. Sapphire, with a slight cringe at her sister's self-centered attitude, looked at me in apology and only followed after Ruby when she saw me smile back. Once the rich pair had left, I turned back to the irritated Dahlia.

"Now." I said to get her attention, "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

The red-headed Warden perked up at my question and smiled. "Well, first of all, you've done so much for the Wardens and the world. As a member of your graduating class, I'm pretty damn proud of you." She nodded, continuing before I could comment, "The world's at peace now. Yep, all nice and quiet…" She then shook her head and narrowed her eyes to glare at me with a spontaneousness to rival Mei Lian's mood swings. "AND BORING! SO VERY BORING!"

I flinched back from the girl's sudden temper, raising my wings in a defensive reflex. "I'm…sorry?"

Dahlia, seeming to notice my discomfort, backed off slightly and smiled again. "Anyway, that's why I have a little something to tell you…" She then got in my face again, her glare returning, although her smile did not fade. "Consider yourself challenged, Tria! I want to race you again! In your true form!"

"You want to race me?!" I exclaimed, more out of shock at the sudden request than from surprise at the request itself.

Dahlia nodded authoritatively. "I've wanted a rematch against you forever, especially after seeing you in the Neo Black Whale, and I can't stand it anymore!" She leaned in even closer, her glare piercing my golden eyes. "So you're okay with this plan, right? RIGHT? SAY YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT!"

"I'm okay with it!" I yelled, partially to get the excited girl to back off again. She did, and began to jump up and down excitedly before grabbing my hand and dragging me into the Garage again.

"Woooooo! Let's get over to Yodel Hills right away!" she yelled joyfully. At my sudden worried look, she added, "I've already had it cleared and prepared, since I knew you'd accept!"

I smiled at Dahlia's energy, following her Speed Demon through the portal, this time heading to Yodel Hills for the second time today.

The dig site looked the same as it had when I'd raced Dahlia to disband the Speed Fiends, with the track, lined with tires, running through one of the Challenge Routes. Three familiar light purple Bone Buggies were waiting near the starting line, their drivers cheering for Big Mama as she drove up. There were many other Bone Buggies there as well, indicating that Dahlia's challenge hadn't been a very private decision. I stood next to Dahlia's Speed Demon, listening to her voice through my earpiece.

"Whoever has the fastest time is the winner…" she began, before spontaneously stating, "Wait, why am I explaining this? You know this already!" She grinned at me though her window. "Anyway, enough talk! Let's shine!" She drove up to the starting line and, as the lights turned green, shot off, cheering, "Push that pedal down and RIIIIIIIDE! Woooooooo-hooooooooo!"

As her experience as a Warden increased, so too, apparently, had her driving skills. She sped around the turns expertly, not hitting as single buffer, nor did she even leave the road. She sped over the finish line, driving a lap around the clearing before stopping. The time appeared on a stopwatch near the starting line.

01:39:00

"Sweet!" Dahlia yelled as the spectators went wild, "That's even better than I thought!" She drove up beside me and rolled down her window again, smirking at me. "What do you think, Tria? Does my time strike fear in your heart?"

"Something like that." I replied without missing a beat, smirking back at her.

"Ha!" Dahlia laughed, slapping my shoulder in her amusement, "Playing it coy, eh? I would expect no less of you." Her gaze then hardened. "Now go, Tria! Take your fastest form and run like the wind!"

" _If you insist._ " I purred somewhat-sadistically. I then took my battle form, relishing the gasp of awe from the audience. Now dwarfing Dahlia's Speed Demon, I crouched down to place my head next to her window. " _Prepare yourself, Dahlia. You are about to witness the speed and agility of a dinaurian huntress._ "

"Show me what you got, Tria!" she replied, taking my challenge gleefully, "Let's see if a dinaurian huntress is faster than the racing Warden!"

I snorted at her confidence and rose to my full height, approaching the starting line and standing in front of it. It was an odd feeling, standing at the start of a race track clearly designed for vehicles, but my mind was soon taken back to the obstacle courses I had used for training during my younger years. There were no hoops, hurdles, or other simulated dangers, but, I realized to my amusement, the set up was the same. I smirked, my dinosaur muzzle baring my teeth and making several audience members shudder.

As soon as the green lights entered my vision, I darted over the starting line. I sped around the turns of the track, the counter-balance of my tail letting me make sharp changes in direction without lessening my speed. I jumped over the launch ramps placed throughout the track, my wings pressed tightly against my flanks to make me more streamline. On the last stretch, I saw the finish line out of the corner of my eye and turned toward it, my tail cracking like a whip. My predatory instincts took hold as I lunged across the finish line, landing on all fours with claws splayed as I frequently did to balance myself after a chase. I listened to the shocked silence in my earpiece as I observed my time on the stopwatch at the finish line.

00:35:00

"Uh…Uh…" someone gasped.

"Unbelievable…" someone else whispered.

"Maaaan!" I heard Dahlia groan, "I lost AGAIN!"

I whined at my friend's reaction, flying over to where she was parked. I leaned down to her window, which was still open, and found her staring at my time in absolute astonishment. I nudged her cheek with my muzzle, making her look at me. At my questioning whimper, she stroked a hand under my chin and smiled at me.

"Come on, Tria. We need to get back. They'll want to take the track down soon." she told me. I whined again, but didn't argue, simply returning to my true form and following Dahlia through the portal. After leaving the Garage without a word to me, I became nervous.

"Dahlia? Are you all right?" I asked hesitantly. Dahlia jolted and stared at me with wide eyes.

"Of course I am!" she exclaimed, putting her hands behind her back and smiling at me, "I mean, yeah, I'm definitely disappointed that I lost, but I had a lot of fun! I gave it absolutely everything I had, you know? And you're the only one who can make me do that, Tria!"

"I know the feeling, Dahlia!" I agreed, smiling as well with relief that she wasn't angry or upset. I then tilted my head in question. "But you still seem kinda distant. Are you sure nothing is the matter?"

"Oh…" Dahlia muttered, looking at the ground, "I'm still thinking about your time. It was less than half mine! I didn't know ANYTHING could move that fast!"

"Oh, yeah." I mumbled, scratching the back of my head, "I did say I'm a huntress, didn't I? As a small predator, I can't rely on brute strength when attacking, and I can't take too many hits, so speed and agility are my closest allies. Strike quickly and then back off before the enemy can counter; that's how I fight. That's how I've always done things, so…" I trailed off when I saw Dahlia staring at me with an 'are-you-kidding-me' look on her face. "What is it?"

"You? A SMALL predator?! What about you is SMALL?!" she exclaimed disbelievingly. I sweatdropped.

"…Yes, Dahlia." I sighed, "Compared to most vivosaurs, I am small. I am built like a raptor, light and quick, as opposed to the larger therapods or most of the herbivores, which are heavily built and slower-moving. I need to be light, but it makes me more vulnerable, which is why I use speed to attack."

"Vulnerable…" Dahlia growled, squinting at me, "Not the word I'd choose…"

I shrugged, preparing to respond, but I was cut off by my phone ringing. I pulled it out and checked the caller ID before arching a curious eye ridge and answering.

"Hello?"

"Tria?" Leon's voice came through the receiver, "Think you could come to America? We've got a…slight problem." I heard someone sobbing in the background, the familiar cries easily recognizable.

"Sure thing, Leon." I said simply, "I'm on my way." I then turned to Dahlia. "I have to go to America. Leon needs my help with something."

"Busy as always, Tria." Dahlia sighed, her disappointment obvious. She then looked at me pleadingly and I chuckled.

"Care to join me?" I asked, smiling and holding out my hand. Dahlia perked up.

"I thought you'd never ask!" she cheered, grabbing my hand and dragging me through the World Gate, her excitement making me smile even as my concern for Leon's crying companion deepened.


	33. Miracle Cure

As soon as we entered the American Fossil Center, we were greeted by a worrisome scene. Leon was sitting on a couch in the Center lobby, holding a sobbing boy against his side. The sobbing boy, Lucky, had his face buried in Leon's side, gripping the male's shirt tightly. When Leon saw us, he beckoned us over.

"Hey, Leon." I greeted the male.

"Thanks for coming, Tria." Leon greeted me in turn before glancing at the redhead next to me, "I see you brought Dahlia with you."

"Tria and I never get to hang out anymore, so when she got your call, I decided to tag along." Dahlia stated, her hands on her hips. I ignored their bickering and addressed the boy clinging to Leon's side.

"What's the matter, Lucky?" I asked, kneeling in front of my young Paleo Pal.

"It hurts!" he cried, his voice muffled in Leon's shirt, "It hurts! Owwwww!"

"The Fossil Shop had a special on sweets, and Lucky went a little nuts with 'em." Leon explained to me.

"Dino chocolate, dino cookies, dino cakes, dino pie…" Lucky muttered, sounding regretful.

"Dino Cakes…" I mumbled to myself, nostalgia rising at the memory of Dr. Diggins. He'd played a large role in my early life, teaching me the basics of fossil cleaning and telling me stories about the ancient world when he'd been sent to the Jurassic Period. I'd called him Uncle Diggins, and, like my father before me, I also occasionally took advantage of his love of Dino Cakes to get access to things or places I wasn't supposed to. I swallowed the wave of sadness that accompanied the memory of my life before I came to the Wardens' time and turned my attention back to Lucky.

"So, anyway." Leon interjected into Lucky's ramble, "Now he has a painful cavity, but he's afraid of the dentist, so he's left like this."

"I don't wanna go to the dentist!" Lucky cried for emphasis.

"Well, if you wanna get rid of that cavity, you're gonna have to suck it up and go!" Dahlia told the boy, her hasty nature not allowing much in the way of tact.

"Actually…" another voice entered the conversation, "There may be another way."

We all looked to see Dr. Digmore walking up to us from the Fossil Center entrance. He had what appeared to be a stone tablet in his hands.

"Really?" Leon asked.

"How?" Dahlia questioned impatiently. Lucky looked up from Leon's side, his expression hopeful.

"Well…" he began, "Oddly enough, I just unearthed an ancient lithograph that describes a long-lost method of healing cavities in seconds. I mean, really. What are the odds of this? They must be astronomical…" When he saw us staring at him, he cleared his throat. "Er…yes. Anyway, I think I should be able to help."

"Yes! That's EXACTLY what I need!" Lucky yelled, before wincing and clutching his cheek, tears reappearing in his eyes. He then looked up at the archaeologist and ordered, "Now come on already and make with the healing! Chop chop!"

"Lucky." I scolded the boy, "Pain does not justify rudeness."

Dr. Digmore ignored Lucky's attitude, answering him with the same painfully-honest tone he always had, "Er, right. See, the thing is, I'm still working on deciphering the lithograph. I know the item necessary for the procedure, but beyond that…"

"Come on, Tria! Let's go get whatever he needs already!" Lucky told me desperately, getting up and pulling on my arm. He then cringed again and clutched his cheek, whimpering.

"Um…" I hummed hesitantly, eyeing the tablet warily. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what this 'healing method' was.

"What? You're NOT gonna help?!" Lucky cried, sounding betrayed, "You're just gonna let my teeth fall out of my head like an old pumpkin?!"

"Actually, that's precisely what I'm trying to prevent." I mumbled, but Dahlia spoke over me.

"Of course we'll help!" she declared, slinging an arm over my shoulders and grinning confidently, "We'll be back before you can say toothache!" She glared at me. "RIGHT, Tria?!"

I looked between the glaring redhead, curious archaeologist, expectant punk, and hurting boy, and sighed in defeat.

"Yeah, sure. I'll help."

Lucky brightened immediately. "Aw, thanks, Tria! I knew I could count on a Paleo Pal!"

"I'll go as well." Leon said, standing. He looked back down when he realized that Lucky was still clinging to his arm.

"I think you might need to stay here, Leon." I told the taller male, "Lucky needs someone to distract him while he waits."

Leon looked down at Lucky, into his pleading eyes, and, for the first time, shook his head in negation. "I'm sorry, Lucky, but I think I should accompany Tria and Dahlia." He looked at me more directly as he added, "There's something I want to check up on."

My wings shifted in discomfort, and I looked down at the floor as I subconsciously hid my wrist behind me. Lucky followed Leon's gaze and, seeing what his idol was referring to, sat back down and nodded acceptingly. Dahlia and Digmore looked between us with confused expressions.

"Hmm…" Digmore hummed questioningly, but, when it became clear he wasn't going to get an answer, continued, "Yes, well, if I'm reading this correctly, we need to acquire a special gem known as a Hard Diamond. It is the hardest stone known to man and can be found in the depths of Starry Falls."

"Ugh!" Dahlia groaned suddenly, startling the poor man, "We're looking for ANOTHER jewel?!"

Dr. Digmore looked at the girl, confusion once again the dominant expression on his face. When he saw the rest of us ignoring her, he continued, "If you bring me a Hard Diamond, I'll see about fixing that tooth of yours."

"Even the slightest movement causes agonizing pain, so I think I'll stay here." Lucky whimpered, curling up on the couch.

"I'll stay here as well and continue my efforts to decipher the lithograph." Dr. Digmore added as he sat down next to the whimpering kid, "Good luck with you mission."

"Thank you, Dr. Digmore." I said, having glanced at the lithograph when he'd passed me. It was just as I'd suspected.

"Stay strong, Lucky." Leon told the younger boy, patting his shoulder comfortingly. Lucky just nodded tearfully.

"We'll be back soon!" Dahlia told the two males before dragging me and Leon out of the Fossil Center. As we headed toward the Garage, Dahlia addressed Leon.

"Why did you insist on coming with us?" she asked, glancing up at him. Leon glared down at her, looking indignant, but answered anyway.

"I wanted to check on Tria." he replied, looking at me, "To make sure she had recovered from yesterday and was doing all right."

"I'm fine, Leon." I said, but I was once again spoken over.

"Of course she's all right!" Dahlia cried, now her turn to be indignant, "Don't you think I would've noticed if she wasn't?!"

"That's not the problem, Dahlia." Leon replied, the concern in his eyes making my chest tighten with guilt, "But…you weren't there. When Tria lost control. It was…" He looked at me again before finishing quietly, "It was scary."

Dahlia was about to respond, but this time I interrupted her.

"It was scary." I growled, my entire body tense. My companions picked up on this and glanced at each other.

"By the way, Dahlia." Leon said to the redhead, "Why did you come here with Tria?"

"I told you. I never get to hang out with her anymore." Dahlia answered, "I challenged her to a race. I've always wondered which of us is faster."

"So, which of you is faster?" Leon asked.

"I am." I answered, grabbing Leon and Dahlia's wrists as I dragged them past their Bone Buggies, "That's why you're not taking your Bone Buggies."

"What do you mean we're not taking our Bone Buggies?!" Dahlia cried, distressingly confused.

"How are we supposed to get through a dig site without our Bone Buggies?!" Leon exclaimed.

"Easy. I'll carry you." I stated, pulling my shocked Paleo Pals through the portal into the nocturnal dig site of Starry Falls.

"You're gonna carry us?" Leon asked skeptically.

"Yes." I replied simply, "I am faster than any Bone Buggy and we shouldn't keep Lucky waiting. Besides, I have a pretty good idea where this Hard Diamond is, and I can get us there more easily than a Bone Buggy ever could."

"But how are you supposed to carry both of us at once?!" Leon asked incredulously. That's when Dahlia piped up.

"Do we get to ride on your battle form?" she asked excitedly. When I nodded, she positively squealed.

Leon gawked at me as I took on my battle form and crouched down in front of them. Dahlia, true to her nature, wasted no time climbing onto my back and gripping my mane tightly. Leon hesitated, more cautious than the racing Warden. Said racing Warden groaned impatiently and roughly grabbed Leon's arm, yanking him on to my back. He flailed about briefly before orienting himself and gripping my mane even more tightly than Dahlia did.

" _Are you all right, Leon?_ " I growled back to him.

"I'm fine." Leon replied, "It's just…different."

"She hasn't even moved yet, Leon." Dahlia said, aiming a taunting glance over her shoulder at him. I snorted in agreement and stood up, feeling the two humans clutch at my neck. I chuckled as I felt them settle into my new position.

" _I will carry you to the area of Starry Falls that has the most jewels. We'll start our search there._ " I informed the humans on my back. As I began walking toward the deepest part of the dig site, I heard Leon whisper to Dahlia.

"Hey, Dahlia. How much faster was Tria?"

"Well…" Dahlia hummed thoughtfully, "I challenged her at the Yodel Hills track. I set a new personal record!"

" _1 minute 39 seconds._ " I inserted.

"That's impressive." Leon muttered, before looking at me nervously, "What…What was Tria's time?"

Dahlia and I exchanged a grin, with Dahlia answering as I prepared for my dash.

"35 seconds."

With the girl's words and the boy's astonished gasp, I lunged forward, darting over the darkened path with easy balance. I leapt over the streams and jumped on top of the cliffs, heading straight for the chasm where I'd hidden when my holographic disguise first failed in the presence of the Wardens. I jumped off the cliff without slowing down, eliciting screams from my passengers, elated screams from Dahlia and terrified screams from Leon. Both voices were abruptly cut off when I extended my wings, catching myself in the air and gliding slowly down to the ledge I had originally rested on. I turned my head to both of my riders, observing their reactions to my flight here.

"Woooooo-hooooooooooo!" Dahlia cheered, throwing her hands in the air, "That was AWESOME! Let's do it again!"

"No way!" Leon yelled angrily. He looked like he was about to throw up. "If we're doing that again, I'm walking back!"

"Oh, quit being such a baby, Leon!" Dahlia scolded Leon, crossing her arms. Before the argument could go any further, I growled, my rumbling vivosaurian voice getting their attention.

" _Do you remember this ledge, Dahlia?_ " I asked, my question directed at both of them despite only mentioning one by name.

"Yeah!" she cried, admiring the perch from the new perspective atop my back.

"Isn't this where you were looking for Tria when she disappeared after her holographic disguise failed?" Leon asked her.

"Yep!" Dahlia chirped, grinning broadly. She then scratched the back of her head sheepishly and admitted, "Though, mostly, I just wanted to see if I could actually get up here…"

I could tell Leon was about to snap at her, so I cut in, " _Well, intentional or not, you were closer than most of the Wardens._ " I told her, startling both of them.

"I was?" Dahlia asked.

"I thought you were in that cave behind the waterfall?" Leon said, arching an eyebrow at me.

" _You FOUND me in the cave, but I wasn't there the whole time._ " I explained, jumping down into the shallow pool below, " _I was actually sitting on that ledge until Hanzo found this chasm and the rest of you gathered around it. THEN I hid in the cave._ "

"You didn't have to hide from us." Leon muttered, "We would've accepted you, you know."

" _No, I didn't know._ " I growled back, " _That's why I hid._ "

"Hey, wait!" Dahlia cried suddenly, leaning up my neck, "You were injured when we found you, weren't you? How DID you get hurt?"

"Oh yeah." Leon muttered, "You'd acted like you hadn't noticed you were hurt, but you actually knew, didn't you?"

 _"Of course I knew."_ I replied casually as I approached the wall next to the waterfall, " _I'm the one who inflicted those injuries in the first place._ "

I heard two gasps from my back and looked to see the humans sitting there staring at me with wide eyes and pale faces.

"Y-Y-You caused those injuries on yourself?!" Leon stuttered, looking sick at the memory of the bleeding gashes I had inflicted. When I nodded, he covered his mouth with his hand.

"WHY?!" Dahlia screamed at me.

" _Because my new holographic disguise didn't recognize the scar from when I'd captured Gorgo or the bruises from when Olga'd attacked me. Neither of those wounds would've fazed me in my true form, and they only continued to be shown because they were recorded in my previous disguise. Since that data didn't transfer to the new device, I'd had to enter it, which I did by re-inflicting those injuries while using the new disguise._ "

When I finished my explanation, Dahlia hugged my neck while Leon pressed his face against my muzzle. I purred in appreciation of their sympathy before turning back to the wall.

" _Back to the task at hand._ " I rumbled, business returning to my tone, " _See this wall? This is where the largest collection of gems in Starry Falls resides._ "

"And you think the Hard Diamond will be found here?" Leon asked me.

" _It's the most likely place for it to be._ " I replied.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's get that jewel!" Dahlia cheered. She then looked around in sudden realization. "But…how are we gonna find it? We don't have our sonars without our Bone Buggies."

"Or our digging tools." Leon added, crossing his arms, "How are we gonna excavate it?"

" _Here._ " I responded, handing a small device I'd been holding in my foreclaws to Leon, " _This is a handheld sonar from my home time. Use it to find the Diamond, and leave the rest to me._ "

"A sonar from your time?!" Dahlia cried as Leon admired the device in his hands, "I wanna use it!"

"Tria handed it to me! I'M gonna use it!" Leon yelled at Dahlia when the girl started trying to grab it.

" _How about you BOTH use it._ " I barked at the quarreling humans, " _Press that little button there and scan the wall._ "

They did as I'd instructed after a brief argument over who got to hold it (in the end, Leon held it in front of Dahlia while she pressed the button) and I heard several blips.

"There are a bunch of readings in this area." Leon reported to me.

"How are we supposed to know which one is the Hard Diamond?" Dahlia asked, frustrated.

" _Scan it again._ " I told them, " _Look for the clearest image._ "

"The clearest image?" Leon asked as Dahlia pressed the button again. They both stared at the reading closely, looking for the image that showed up most clearly on the screen. "I'm not seeing anything clear."

"Neither am I." Dahlia sighed in disappointment.

" _Keep scanning continuously._ _Once a clear image appears, let me know immediately._ " I told them before walking slowly along the wall. After only a few steps to the right, I heard a blip followed immediately by a shout from Leon and Dahlia.

"Hold up, Tria!"

"We've got something!"

I stopped obediently, turning to face the section of the wall I had just been passing. They scanned the area right in front of me again.

"I don't believe it…" Leon muttered.

"It's a diamond! Clear as day!" Dahlia cheered.

" _Excellent. Now leave everything to me._ " I growled, pleased, " _Hold on tight, you two._ "

Leon and Dahlia clung to my back, careful not to drop my sonar, as I raised my foreclaws and dug into the rock of the wall. It didn't take long for me to feel my claws hit something harder than the rock around it, and I wrapped my claws around the hard stone to extract it from the wall. After retrieving my sonar from Leon and warning my passengers, I took off, flying over the dig site and landing just in front of the portal. I let my passengers off and returned to my normal form, allowing us to move through the portal. Back in the Fossil Park, I cleaned the rest of the Hard Diamond with my handheld drill.

"You know…" Leon muttered as he and Dahlia watching me clean the hard, transparent gem, "I didn't see how this will cure a cavity."

"You know, I never thought about it, but you're right." Dahlia agreed, "What's this thing gonna do for that kid's teeth?"

"I know what it's used for." I stated as I brushed the dust off the gemstone, "And I'm not going to let Lucky go through with it. He probably won't want to anyway, but even if he is that desperate not to go to the dentist, I won't let him."

"You know how this'll heal a cavity?!" Leon exclaimed disbelievingly.

"Yes, although 'heal' isn't exactly an appropriate word for it." I said, heading into the Fossil Center.

"How?!" Dahlia asked me eagerly, "You gotta tell us!"

I looked at the two males waiting for us, excitement on both of their faces, and replied, "I think you'll find out soon enough."

Lucky jumped up from his place on the couch, staring at us with wide, happy eyes. "Oh man! You did it! You actually brought back the Hard Diamond! Thank you SO MUCH!"

"Naturally." Leon bragged, smirking.

"And in another piece of good news, I've finished deciphering the lithograph!" Dr. Digmore announced, "All you have to do is put the Hard Diamond in your mouth and bite down on it with the infected tooth. When the infected tooth shatters to pieces, the pain from the cavity will be gone!" He smiled, unaware of the gawking stares he was receiving. "Amazing! The solution is as simple as it is elegant! Who knew our ancestors were so ahead of their time? I must write a paper on this at once…"

"THAT'S NOT AMAZING AT ALL!" Lucky screamed, cutting off Digmore's rambling. He whimpered, seeming to huddle in on himself. "Maaaaan…I seriously though this would fix my cavity. Now I HAVE to go to the dentist!" He began sobbing into Leon's shirt again.

"Aw, don't cry, Lucky. The dentist isn't that scary." Dahlia said in an attempt to comfort the boy.

"But just the thought of that drill grinding and grinding and GRINDING…ugh!" Lucky continued to sob, "What am I going to dooooooooo?! How can I stand that sound?!"

"Grinding?" I asked curiously, "You mean like digging?"

At my words, Lucky spontaneously stopped crying and looked at me with an incredulous expression. His eyes then became thoughtful as he pondered what I'd said. He then brightened.

"Hmm…Hey, yeah! It IS kind of like digging up a fossil, isn't it? And that grinding sound never bothers me in the field, so maybe it won't be so bad at the dentist!"

"That's the spirit, Lucky!" Leon praised the boy.

"You got this!" Dahlia added. I nodded.

"Thanks Tria, Leon, Dahlia!" Lucky said happily, "I'm feeling a little bit braver! I'm gonna head straight to the dentist! I'll prove I've got what it takes to handle that awful sound!"

"You can do it, Lucky!" I told him, smiling proudly, before turning back to Dr. Digmore when I heard him sigh.

"I must say, I'm a bit disappointed not to see this ancient cavity treatment of our ancestors with my own eyes." he muttered, looking at me as he brightened, "Still, the fact that you were able to find a Hard Diamond so quickly is quite impressive. We archaeologists are always looking to learn new digging techniques, you know? Perhaps you'd be good enough to let me study at your side?"

"Whatever you say, Doc!" I said in agreement, before adding, "I can even teach you more about that 'treatment' you've got there."

Dr. Digmore perked up, looking at me with keen excitement and interest. Lucky, Leon, and Dahlia turned to me curiously.

"You know something about that crazy treatment, Tria?" Lucky asked me.

"Indeed I do." I replied, my voice becoming slightly slurred as I removed the Hard Diamond from where I'd placed it under my tongue, "It is simpler than filling in the hole that is the cavity, as dentists do, but humans can't afford to lose their teeth so carelessly. You only get one replacement, after all."

"Tria…" Leon spoke up hesitantly, reaching for me, "What do you have in your mouth?"

"And what happened to the diamond we got?" Dahlia asked, looking around when she noticed I wasn't obviously holding it anymore. 

"I think you just answered Leon's question, Dahlia." I told her before moving the Hard Diamond to sit between my top and bottom molars, "You see, there's a little more to the technique than what's written there. You have to bite down at an angle, and you have to be careful not to damage your other teeth. The goal isn't so much to shatter the tooth as it is to force it out of your mouth. Kinda like this…"

"Tria, don't!" Leon cried, startled, but he was too slow. I bit down on the solid gem in my mouth, expertly angling it and adjusting the strength in my jaws so that it hit one of my back molars on the side. The tooth was forced from its place, cracking from the impact. I then held out my hand and spat out the tooth and the gem, bringing a fair amount of blood with them.

"TRIA!" the Wardens and future Warden screamed. The archaeologist stared at me with wide, shocked eyes. I held my bloody hand out to him, smiling as I pulled a cloth out of my pocket.

"One more thing you might want to mention in your paper, Dr. Digmore." I said, dabbing at the blood that left my mouth with those words, "That treatment wasn't used by your ancestors. It was used by mine."

"Are you out of your mind, Tria?!" Leon cried, his face pale. Lucky looked like he was about to be sick.

"Tria?!" Dahlia screamed at me, "What the hell were you thinking?! You just knocked your tooth out! Did you seriously want to show this insane doctor that wacko treatment that badly?!"

"Why not?" I responded, my tone too casual for the fact that there was a trickle of blood still escaping my mouth, "It's not like I'm hurting myself."

"Not hurting yourself?!" Leon sounded like he was choking on his own anger and fear, "You just knocked your tooth out, and now you're bleeding! You really don't consider that hurting yourself?!"

"Not really." I replied, "It'll grow back soon enough."

That comment made everyone pause for a moment to process what I had just said.

"It'll grow back?" Lucky asked, sounding hopeful.

"So that tooth was one of your baby teeth?" Dahlia asked me, confused.

"I don't have baby teeth, or adult teeth, as humans do." I replied, earning me more confused looks. I bit down on the cloth, letting it soak up some of the blood, before continuing, "You did hear me specifically mention why humans couldn't use this treatment for cavities? I said that for a reason. Humans only get two sets of teeth during their lifetimes, the 'baby' teeth and the 'adult' teeth, as you call them. Once you lose your adult teeth, you need to get artificial replacements, so you go to great lengths to preserve them. That's why dentists deal with cavities by filling in the holes before the tooth becomes too damaged to use. Dinaurians, however, are different. We are descended from dinosaurs, specifically small predators, and just like our ancestors, our teeth are lost and replaced throughout our lives. Because, through our hunting and fighting habits, we lose our teeth frequently, we have retained the adaptation that forms teeth constantly, so that, when one falls out, another will grow in its place, regardless of what stage of life we're at. And, since we replace our teeth all the time, there's no reason for us to go through all the trouble of preserving a damaged one. We simply remove it to give the new, undamaged one room to take its place." I held up my bloodied hand as I finished my explanation, "And that's why dinaurians use this type of 'treatment' while humans do not."

"…" There was silence on the part of the humans, their mouths hanging open slightly as they tried to process all the information I had just given them. Well, all except one.

"Fascinating!" Dr. Digmore exclaimed, writing down everything I'd said in his notebook, "So this was written by the dinaurians, and it represents a difference in the cultures of the humans and the dinaurians." He then leaned forward and stared at me with wide, expectant eyes. "Tell me more! How quickly will your tooth grow back? Did the dinaurians even HAVE dentists? What other health differences were there between humans and dinaurians? What kind of differences in habits were there, and how did they affect relations between the two cultures when they lived together?"

"That's enough!" Dahlia yelled, standing in front of me protectively.

"Tria's still bleeding! She's in no condition to answer your questions right now!" Leon added, placing himself between the archaeologist and Dahlia as another barrier between me and the spontaneous interview. I was about to assure them that I was fine when I felt a tap on my arm.

"Are you okay, Tria?" Lucky asked me, seeming to have completely forgotten about his cavity as he looked up at me with tearful eyes.

"I'm fine, Lucky." I replied, dabbing at the blood still flowing from my mouth, "This isn't the first time I've done this. I've lost or damaged more teeth than I can remember; it's nothing new for me."

Lucky looked at the floor for a second, as if pondering what to say next, then returned his gaze to me. "Is that why you didn't want to get the Hard Diamond for me?" he asked quietly. I nodded.

"Yeah. I didn't think you were desperate enough to get it rid of your tooth altogether, but it still wasn't something I wanted to encourage. I can use this 'treatment' as much as I need to, since my teeth are that of a dinaurian, but since you're a human, you can't, and I want you to know that. I don't want all of your teeth to fall out like an old pumpkin, but I also don't want all your teeth to be knocked out like a boxer without a mouth guard. Do you understand, Lucky?"

Lucky nodded fervently, then cringed as the movement aggravated the cavity. Ignoring the pain, he stepped forward and hugged me, burying his face in my stomach.

"Thank you, Tria." he said, his muffled voice still clear to my ears, "I'm lucky to have a Paleo Pal like you."

"I'm glad I can be here to help." I replied, wrapping a wing around the young boy (my hands still holding the bloody cloth, gem, and tooth), "Seeing you grow and learn makes me very happy. Thank you for being my Paleo Pal, Lucky."

While Lucky and I were having this emotional moment, Leon and Dahlia were continuing to argue with Dr. Digmore. All conversations were then interrupted when my phone rang. I stuck the cloth back in my mouth to free my hand and answered with a slightly-distorted, "Hello?"

"Tria." Captain Stryker's voice came through the receiver, "Are you busy at the moment?"

"I'm always busy." I repeated, before adding more smoothly this time, "But things seem to be slack at the moment. What's up?"

"I would like you to report to Fossil Park Asia for dinner." Stryker told me, "To prevent another incident like yesterday, we want to make sure you're eating enough."

From the tension in his voice, I could tell he was worried that I would resist that measure. To make up for lashing out at him earlier, I decided to cooperate.

"I think that's a good idea." I replied, taking note of Stryker's sigh of relief. I also took note of several other sighs in the background. "It'll be at least ten minutes before I can eat anything, but I can head back now, if you want."

"Why-?" Stryker began, then stopped as he tried to decide what question to ask. He eventually settled for, "Why does your voice sound…different?"

"Her voice sounds different?" I heard one of the background voices ask, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching the phone. I thought I'd recognized it, and that recognition was confirmed when I responded to the Captain's question.

"I have a cloth in my mouth." I answered, not taking the cloth out of my mouth as I said that. Through the Captain's inquiry of "Why do you have a cloth in your mouth?" I heard Elric's voice address me.

"How many teeth did you lose this time, Tria?" he asked, ignoring the Captain and, apparently, Professor Little both exclaiming, "She lost her teeth?!" in shocked confusion.

"Just one this time, Elric." I replied easily, also ignoring the shocked Wardens, "Dr. Digmore found a lithograph written by dinaurians long ago describing their special kind of cavity treatment. I was demonstrating it for him."

Elric 'ah'ed in understanding before clarifying, "The one with the Hard Diamond?"

"Yep." I answered simply, "This was actually the cleanest break I've ever done with it."

"That's good." Elric replied as I ignored the shocked reactions to me referring to the results of the procedure as 'clean', "Well, once you're done with whatever you're doing, please come back for dinner."

"Will do." I agreed easily, hanging up to allow Elric to explain that conversation to the Captain and Professor. I, meanwhile, returned my attention to my companions in America.

"That was Captain Stryker." I told them, "He wants me back in Asia for dinner so they can monitor my food intake."

"Monitor your food intake?" Dahlia repeated in confusion.

"Probably not a bad idea." Leon muttered somewhat-guiltily.

"Will you be able to eat with one of your teeth missing, Tria?" Lucky asked, looking sick as he imagined trying to eat through that amount of blood.

"The bleeding will stop soon." I replied as I walked over to Dr. Digmore, "I think we should postpone our interview until a later time. Over coffee, perhaps?"

"Sounds capital!" Dr. Digmore agreed whole-heartedly, "I'll be sure to bring my pen and notebook! I won't miss a word!"

"I believe that." I replied, holding out my bloody hand to the older man, "Do you want the gem and tooth for your studies as well?"

Digmore stared at me in shock. My other friends had similar expressions, but while theirs were the result of disgust, Digmore's was a result of disbelief.

"Truly?" he asked, awed, "You'd truly be willing to give such priceless artifacts to me?"

"Sure." I said, shrugging, "Hard Diamonds aren't that difficult to find, and if they become too rare, there are plenty of other methods for losing teeth. As for the tooth, I have a head full of them. If you want these, you are more than welcome to them."

Dr. Digmore took the tooth and the Hard Diamond, disregarding the blood that still stained them. He then bowed to me in gratitude and returned to his lab to begin his report on his findings. I turned back to my other companions to find them looking sick. I bit down on the cloth one more time before addressing them again.

"Leon. Dahlia. Thank you for joining me today. I enjoyed your company." I told the two Wardens before addressing the younger male, "Lucky. I know you can face going to the dentist. You are a future Warden, after all."

"I won't let you down!" Lucky assured me.

"It's always nice to work with you, Tria." Leon told me, smiling despite his still slightly-pale face.

"Let's hang out again soon!" Dahlia declared happily.

"I'd like that." I said, smiling back at them before turning on my heel and walking though the World Gate, returning to Fossil Park Asia just as its sun began its descent.


	34. The Ice Cracks

I could feel the sunlight seeping through the window of the room where I slept, bathing my tired body with a warm glow that brought me comfort I never knew it could. Despite knowing I had to get up soon, I decided to lie in bed for a little while longer. I didn't sleep in a bed very often anymore, and the events over the past few days had left me in a constant state of mental and physical exhaustion.

Ever since the incident with Mikasi Acerbi, everyone in Fossil Park Asia was walking on eggshells around me, and while I couldn't entirely blame them for it, that didn't stop it from getting on my frayed nerves. Even my return from America the previous night had caused a slight panic, since I hadn't taken a moment to wash the blood off my hands before returning. The explanation of why I had blood on my hands and seeping out of my mouth didn't help, especially once Penny and Mei Lian caught wind of it. What I found even more frustrating than the fuss the Asian Wardens were making over me, however, was the nervous tension in the tones and actions of Captain Stryker, Professor Little, and even Liu Ren. Liu Ren's was a result of guilt, which made it easier to tolerate, but the tension from Stryker and Little came from a totally different emotion: fear. They were afraid of me, and that, more than anything, made my heart ache and my stomach churn.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a rustling sound coming from across the room. I opened one eye, squinting against the morning light, and focused on the golden eyes, more human than mine could ever be, that were watching me with great concern.

"Good morning, Tria." Elric greeted me, pushing himself up on an elbow. He had dark circles under his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly." I said, crouching on my bed in a position that resembled a cat, "Better than you look." I tilted my head. "How are YOU feeling, Elric?"

"Honestly." he muttered, running his fingers through his long, silver hair in a gesture of stress, "Probably as bad as I look."

"That's not good." I said sadly, getting up and making my way to his bed. I sat down next to my close friend. "Is it because of me?"

"No!" Elric yelled, pushing himself up suddenly. When he saw my wings raised in surprise, he backed off slightly and stared at his sheets. I forced my wings down and crouched in front of him, making myself as calm and relaxed as I could. To see Elric, calm, cool, collected Elric falling apart, the weight of his guilt, fear, and despair finally breaking him down, was too much to bear. When he didn't immediately answer, I grabbed his hands in mine and placed my wing-hands on his shoulders, making him look at me with shining eyes.

"This isn't your fault, Tria." he told me vehemently, "Don't even dare think this is your fault. You have done nothing wrong, so don't even try to blame this on yourself. You are not to blame."

"Neither are you, Elric." I responded, meeting his golden gaze with my own, "I know you've been blaming yourself for all of the troubles I've faced since returning, and since merely telling you not to won't work, I'll make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Elric asked me warily, "What kind of deal?"

"I will stop blaming myself for all the tension surrounding me." I said, looking into Elric's eyes unwaveringly, "On the condition that you do the same."

Elric flinched away from me, shaking his head. "But it is-"

"No, it's not." I growled sternly, forcing him to look at me again, "I've already told you, I couldn't have been revived if I hadn't wanted to return to this world. Also, the light from your heart isn't enough to stave off the darkness AND repair the damage it had done. It took the light of all the Wardens to free my soul enough to return, and it took the power of all the Warden's vivosaurs, plus every rogue in Paradise Beach, to repair the damage and allow my body to continue functioning. If even one of those hearts had not wanted me to return, I couldn't have, no matter how much all of the others wanted it. However, since everyone wanted to bring me back, I was able to come back to all of you, and no matter what happens, I will never regret this decision, this gift of a second chance at life beyond anything I could've ever hoped for." I smiled gently at my closest friend, my own eyes shining despite myself. "I am happy. Even through the pain, the sorrow, the fear, and the anger, I am happy. And I want to share my happiness, my light, with you, if you want it. You're my best friend, Elric, and I want you to be happy. I don't like seeing you like this."

Elric watched me through that entire speech, his eyes becoming cloudier with each word I said. Once I had said all I could, he looked down at his hands, still folded in mine, and pulled me to him, embracing me and resting his head on my shoulder. As I wrapped my wings around him, comforting and protective, I heard him whisper in my ear.

"You don't hear them." he said, the sorrow and anger fighting for dominance in his tone, "They won't say it in front you; they're far too cowardly to do that. But I do. The citizens of the Parks, especially this one, think you should either be locked up or put down. Some are saying this is our punishment for resurrecting the dead, not even acknowledging that their vivosaurs are resurrected! I've even heard some of them threatening to kill you themselves if the Wardens don't do it!"

"Hm…that's not a good atmosphere. It'll only make it worse." I mumbled, running my claws through Elric's hair as he so often did with me.

"The Wardens aren't much better." Elric growled, his arms tightening around me, "They don't want to kill you again, but they're afraid of having to. They are also afraid of setting you off, seeming to forget that you are very patient and have never attacked them before."

"Technically, I have." I corrected the distressed male, knowing that, while painful, it had to be said, "I attacked them without mercy on the Neo Back Whale, and, as you stated yesterday, I almost attacked the Captain over an argument." I looked into my friend's eyes, the sorrow there mirroring mine, "There are afraid of me, and as much as it hurts, they have every right to be. I am dangerous. You of all people know that."

"But you're also kind and gentle and patient and you sacrificed your life for this world! You died to protect us, we brought you back, and now they're punishing you for it! It's not fair!" Elric cried, his despair finally showing through.

I nuzzled his neck, purring comfortingly to the crying male in my arms. Elric was always so strong, always looking at the world with a calm and analytical eye, but even he had his limits, and the guilt at his role in my revival and the strife that succeeded it had finally broken him. He always took pride in his composure, but he couldn't handle this burden alone.

" _Elric._ " I purred, coiling my tail around him as well, " _Life isn't fair. It never has been, and humans are notoriously short-sighted. They will praise someone as long as that someone does things to benefit them, but as soon as that someone stops benefitting them, or starts doing more harm than good, the humans will turn on them. It's self-preservation; there's nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, what seems to benefit them in the moment may one day destroy them, and what might seem harmful in the moment might save them in the end. That is the short-sightedness that can make the human race so destructive and dangerous, and it's also why we need to be patient and understanding so that we might guide them in the art of foresight that will allow them to live on this planet without destroying it._ "

Elric listened to me, settling more comfortably against me, and pondered my words. He then sighed and said with a tone of self-loathing, "I'm a human, too, you know."

"But do you doubt the truth in my words?" I asked him. When he shook his head, I smiled. "Then there's hope for the other humans, too, right?"

Elric looked at me, his eyes just slightly annoyed and exasperated, before sighing again and nuzzling my neck in return. "I like to think there is, but it's hard sometimes. The way they talk and act is discouraging."

"They're afraid. Nothing wrong with that." I replied, "Fear is a universal emotion. You can't fault them for it."

"When it puts all of us, including you, in danger, I can." Elric argued, "You said it yourself: this atmosphere makes it worse. The citizens can't be expected to understand, but the Wardens should. They can't let fear control them."

"Most of the Wardens don't understand the issue either." I said in their defense, "Although they probably suspect. Only the highest-ranking Wardens know the cause of my continued loss of control, and after their previous experiences with it, I can't blame them for their unease."

Elric looked at me critically, the focus of his gaze unnerving me slightly, especially considering our close proximity.

"Tria…" he said quietly, his voice teetering just on the edge of suspicious, "How are you so caring and forgiving? These people fear you, want to kill or imprison you. They don't trust you, even after all you've done for them, for something that is no fault of yours, and you're defending them. I've never been able to understand that about you, Tria. Your ability to defend those who stand against you has always baffled me. I admire it, don't get me wrong, but I can't understand it."

"They fear me. I understand that, because I fear myself." I told Elric, smiling gently at him, "I understand how they feel, for I feel the same. I also know what fear can do to anyone, as do you. Besides…" I tightened my grip on him before stating confidently, "I have such wonderful friends to support me. How can I be too worried about the darkness when I'm surrounded by so much light?"

"Your wonderful friends…" Elric muttered, "I'm not sure how much longer that light will last. It's dimming more quickly by the day."

"And the Warden Test is in two days." I added, "I'm not sure what to expect there. It could give me the boost I need. Or…"

"Or?" Elric asked, looking me directly in the eye. I stared back unflinchingly, my voice grave.

"Or it could finish me."


	35. An Ancient Grudge

After my heartfelt conversation with Elric, we both got up to get ready for the day. It was pleasantly familiar, spending the morning with Elric; it was exactly what we used to do when we worked together directly to protect the space-time continuum. After eating with my colleagues, which mostly involved Nate bragging about how he'd won the Leidy Cup while Penny agreed with him with the occasional, "Don't forget Tria and I helped you." Mei Lian scoffed, still remembering how Nate was too cowardly to assist me in the Parsec Cup too well to accept his bragging as legitimate, although my wing-hand on her shoulder kept her from calling him out verbally. Roland praised his teammate on his courage at entering and winning a tournament for his sister, while Elric chuckled in amusement. That is, until Mei Lian muttered about how she'd seen Nate confess that he'd needed to pee, to which everyone burst out laughing while Nate turned bright red and hid his head in his arms. Penny scolded her roommate as she and Roland patted Nate's back, but both of them were clearly trying to hold back their own laughter, their mouths turning up at the corners and trembling.

I smiled and laughed with them, but I could still feel the tension, the icy chill in my chest making me uncomfortable with the feeling that I was not truly welcome in this group anymore. Elric, who'd known me for years, felt my discomfort and ran a hand along the wing that wasn't resting on Mei Lian's shoulder to console me. Still, even with my friends near me being cheerful and energetic, I just could not settle down, could not warm the ice that was coursing through me. And so I stood up, finishing my breakfast quickly and heading through the World Gate before any of the humans could stop me.

I didn't have a distinct destination in mind, so when I stepped out into Fossil Park Europe, I just stood in the lobby for a minute to figure out what to do next. After a few moments of thought, I decided to visit a Paleo Pal I hadn't had a chance to hang out with in a while.

"Oh! It's you, Tria!" Violet exclaimed in excitement when she saw me. She got up from her place sitting at her table and hugged me.

"Hey there, Violet!" I greeted the psychic Warden, "It's been a while since I've seen you, so I thought I'd visit."

"And your timing couldn't have been better!" Violet declared, leading me to the table, "I was just using my psychic powers to look at some of my past lives. Apparently, I used to be a big, lazy Segnosaurus. Isn't that wild?!"

"It is!" I agreed, enjoying Violet's energy. I then perked up when I saw her eyes brighten.

"Hey!" she almost yelled, grabbing my hands and looking at me with sparkling eyes, "If you want, I'll take a look at some of your past lives."

"Sounds like fun!" I accepted her offer, my curiosity piqued.

"Great! Then let's begin!" Violet said happily, sitting back down at her table. I sat opposite of her. The crystal ball in the center of the table sparkled with the opalescent glow that indicated its connection with the Crystal Ball +1. Once we'd both gotten settled, Violet began her chant.

"Hippity hopptity ho! Slippity sloppity slow! Marsey dates and dosey dotes! And a little kimbsy divey! NOW GIMME THAT FORTUNE, BABY!" She held out her hands toward the crystal ball, her eyes closed, and her body trembled. I felt a strange tingling sensation throughout my body and mind, seeming to dig deep into my very soul, and I shifted uneasily. Violet continued to hum for several more minutes before she sat back up again and sighed, her form shuddering with the breath. When she opened her violet eyes and looked at me, they were still clouded with visions of the past.

"Yowza. That's terrifying." she muttered, looking at me warily, "Apparently, you used to be a carnivorous Tarbosaurus in your past life. And that Tarbosaurus once attacked a Segnosaurus pack. It circled the unwary herd until one of them broke away. Then it dove upon the poor beast and tore it asunder! And that Segnosaurus eaten that day was…" Her eyes then widened and filled with fear and anger as she cried, "MY PAST SELF!"

"Wow! Really?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yep. That's right. You tooootally ate me." Violet muttered, narrowing her eyes to glare at me, "Well, there's only one thing to do now. You have to fight me in a one-on-one Fossil Battle!"

"Seriously?!" I cried, backing away as Violet somehow made herself loom over me.

"Yes!" she growled viciously, "I'll be using my Segno…the one you DIDN'T eat! And you'll be using a Tarbo like the big, hungry jerk your past self was! We're going to relive that horrible moment from our shared past. But this time, I'll win! Which will be fun." She then shoved past me as she left her room, turning around only to say, "Meet me in the Fossil Stadium. I'm going to banish the resentment that's been festering inside me for millions of years!" She then stormed out, radiating anger and bloodlust that cleared everything near her as she made her way to the Stadium.

I sighed, feeling the chill fill my body again as my own sorrow took hold. I had wanted to hang out with a friend, but I ended up turning her into an enemy. That's all I seem to be capable of doing now. Maybe I should just be locked up, or put down before I can hurt anyone else. I should've known coming back was a mistake. So much for being an Angel. I'm just a weak, selfish, arrogant little…

My thoughts were interrupted suddenly by an incessant beeping noise coming from my left wrist. I looked down at the device to find it flashing a green light. I growled at it, wondering how to shut the damn thing up, when I heard the World Gate open. I looked to see Liu Ren dash out, looking around frantically, before spotting me and making a bee-line in my direction. I met him in the lobby.

"I got an alert from the detector on your wrist." Liu Ren told me, looking me up and down, "Are you all right, Tria?"

"I'm fine, Liu Ren." I sighed, my voice unconvincing even to myself. I held out my arm to the Asian leader. "Do you think you can make this thing stop making noise? It's getting annoying."

Liu Ren complied, pressing a button on the device that had alerted him to my condition. When the noise stopped, I sighed again, and Liu Ren looked at me in concern.

"Are you sure you're all right, Tria?" he asked, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder, "You seem tired."

"Just a slightly troubling incident." I muttered, placing my wing-hand over the hand resting on my shoulder, "Violet's mad at me. Apparently, I was a Tarbosaurus in a past life and she was a Segnosaurus, and I had eaten her. Now she wants revenge, with her using a Segno and me using a Tarbo. She's waiting in the Fossil Stadium."

Hm." Liu Ren hummed, sounding slightly exasperated, "That does seem a bit overly dramatic. Still, if she wants revenge, are you going to comply?"

"I don't have much choice." I growled, rubbing a hand down my face, "I don't understand why she's angry, but I don't want her ill feelings to remain, and it would seem that this is the only way to settle things." I then sighed again tiredly. "Still, I need to find a Tarbo to go up against her. I never directly trained one, and the rogues are no match for a Warden's vivosaur, so…"

Liu Ren, after thinking for a few moments, was about to make a suggestion, but a voice from his pocket beat him to it.

" _Allow me to assist you, Commander._ " the deep, respectful voice of Liu Ren's Tarbo spoke up from his Dino Gear, " _No Segno could ever match me. We can put an end to this human's ridiculous quest for vengeance._ "

Liu Ren took out the Air-type's Dino Gear, and we both looked at him.

" _Are you sure, Tarbo._ " I asked the carnivore, " _You have no obligation to do so. This challenge was toward me, not you. You don't have to get involved of you don't want to._ "

" _You are the Commander of the Vivosaurs._ " Tarbo informed me, his calm sternness so much like his fighter's, " _As a vivosaur, I am under your command, a place I chose willingly and without hesitation or regret. A challenge to you is a challenge to all vivosaurs, including me, and since this is a specific challenge toward you as a Tarbosaurus, I, a Tarbo, have been challenged even more directly. Therefore, I shall fight by your side, for my own honor as well as yours._ "

" _Thank you, Tarbo._ " I hissed gently to the carnivore before looking up at his fighter, "Is that all right with you, Liu Ren?"

Liu Ren looked at me, then at the dormant form of his vivosaur partner, before handing him to me.

"If Tarbo wants to fight this battle with you, I see no reason to stop him." he said, watching me warily, "I would like to watch, though, if you'd let me. I want to learn more about how you command the vivosaurs, even the vivosaurs of the Wardens."

"Of course." I agreed, choosing to ignore the other, unspoken reason he wanted to stick around to watch me fight: to make sure I didn't lose control again. With that issue settled, I headed to the Fossil Stadium, Liu Ren following close behind.

"I've been waiting for you, Tria." Violet said from her Bone Buggy when I met her in the waiting area, Tarbo's Dino Gear in my hand, "You turned me into a snack millions of years ago, and I'm still super sad about it. So today, I'll take my revenge!"

"I'm sorry I upset you." I told the witch Warden sincerely, before my gaze hardened and I glared at her, "But I'm not going to lose!"

Violet didn't respond, simply driving out into the arena. I walked out myself, the lack of my holographic disguise meaning that I didn't need a Bone Buggy of my own.

There weren't too many people in the audience, since the battle was unofficial and unannounced. However, there were still more people than when I'd fought the Killer Fiends with Leon and Dahlia, with more people filing in when they'd noticed me enter the Stadium. I also saw Liu Ren sitting in the front row, watching with a look of nervous anticipation.

Violet sent out her Segno, the rage in her eyes reflected in the vivosaur. I threw Tarbo's Dino Gear into the air, releasing him, before taking on my battle form. The audience gasped as the two Wardens tensed.

"Hey!" Violet screamed at me, "You're not supposed to fight directly!"

" _I'm not!_ " I roared back, " _But this is the form most recognized as the Commander of the Vivosaurs, so this is the form I shall use to command!_ " I exchanged a glance with my current partner, " _Is that agreeable to you, Tarbo?_ "

" _It is preferred._ " Tarbo replied, taking an aggressive stance against his Earth-type opponent. Segno, after confirming that I was not intending to participate in this fight directly, nodded confidently to his fighter and reignited her will to fight.

"Segno! Face Ripper! Tear that Tarbo apart!" Violet ordered viciously. Segno roared, charging at Tarbo with claws gleaming.

" _Tail Bash, Tarbo!_ " I commanded the large carnivore in front of me. Tarbo snorted at Segno's inexperienced rush and spun around, avoiding the vivosaur's claws expertly and slamming his tail into the Earth-type's flank. Segno was spun around with the force of the attack, landing him in a weak stance. Before he could turn himself around, I issued my next command.

" _Shoulder Tackle!_ " I barked. Tarbo complied, slamming into Segno and throwing him to the ground. I had expected the Earth-type to fall from the double Air-type assault, but he caught himself and stood up shakily.

"We won't go down so easily!" Violet yelled, giving her next order, "Segno! Claw Strike!"

Segno growled, now furious, and dashed forward again, claws ready.

" _Tarbo! Thunderous Roar!_ " I commanded. Tarbo opened his jaws, yellow teeth bared, and unleashed his voice in a rush of Air-type energy. Segno slowed to a halt in the face of the large carnivore's attack, but as Tarbo was thrown into a weaker upward stance by the force of his own attack, Violet grinned.

"Now, Segno! Slashing Upper!" she ordered. Segno growled in the vivosaurian equivalent of a sadistic laugh and swung his claws upward at Tarbo.

" _Wait for it, Tarbo!_ " I growled calmly to the carnivore. He glanced back at me, nervous about his stance, but trusted me enough not to argue. He watched warily as Segno's claws approached, and, right before they made contact, I roared with an unquestionable authority, " _Now! Head down!_ "

Tarbo grinned, his worry turning into confidence, and he brought his head down on the Earth-type, slamming him into the ground as he returned to his normal stance. Segno, finally succumbing for the power and elemental advantage of his opponent, disappeared in a flash of light and returned to his fighter. The audience went wild.

"I…I lost?" Violet asked herself, stunned. She drove out of the arena without another word. I looked over toward the stands to see Liu Ren gawking at me before I turned my attention to Tarbo.

" _You have my thanks, Tarbo._ " I growled to him, pressing my neck to his, " _You did very well._ "

" _I have your guidance to thank for that, Commander Tria._ " Tarbo rumbled, " _I look forward to working with you again._ "

" _And I with you._ " I replied as we both returned to our normal forms in a flash of light, Tarbo's Dino Gear falling into my hand as I walked out of the arena, leaving the cheering crowd behind as I followed after Violet.

Back in the Fossil Stadium lobby, I saw Violet looking at the floor, her expression thoughtful. I approached her hesitantly, keeping my distance in awareness of her possibly-remaining rage, and stood a few feet in front of her.

"You're just as strong as I thought you'd be, Tria." Violet told me, laughing bitterly, "I was utterly destroyed out there."

"I'm sorry, Violet." I apologized, not meeting the woman's eyes, "I had come here to visit you, since I don't get to very often, but I only ended up making you angry. I'm very sorry."

"Oh! Don't apologize, Tria!" Violet cried, closing the distance between us and grabbing my shoulders, "I may have lost the Fossil Battle, but it did help me calm down a bit." I looked up at my Paleo Pal to see her smiling kindly at me, "It's still true that you were a big meanie who ate me…but that doesn't mean I have to avenge your actions here in the present. You'll never see the future if you can't let go of the past and stuff, you know?" She then grinned as she added, "Plus, I should just be happy that we shared a past together. That's actually pretty cool!"

"It IS pretty cool!" I agreed, smiling back, "Also, I see that humans have a different conception of this, but in the dinaurian culture I come from, sharing a past life like this, in which the life of one allowed the life of another, is seen as the forging of a strong bond in later incarnations. It's seen as a positive thing, indicating a life-long friendship in the current life."

"Really?" Violet asked my hopefully, before grinning widely and embracing me excitedly, "That means we'll be best friends forever! That's awesome!"

"It is, isn't it?" I asked rhetorically, returning the witch's embrace as a wave of relief washed over me. Violet wasn't mad at me anymore, and that made the whole ordeal worthwhile. After Violet left to respond to a call from Drake she'd gotten during the battle, Liu Ren, who'd been leaning against the wall during our discussion, walked up to me.

"Well, that seems to have resolved itself rather nicely." he said, smiling, seeming more at ease now.

"Yes, thank goodness." I agreed with the Asian leader as I handed him Tarbo's Dino Gear, "I really don't like it when my friends are mad at me."

"I don't think anyone does." Liu Ren replied as he led me out of the Fossil Stadium, "I'm just glad this little incident didn't escalate into something more serious."

"So am I. With the Warden Test so close, I need to maintain as much composure as I can." I stated as we made our way into the Fossil Center and through the World Gate, "Unfortunately, that's not always easy, especially with my job."

"Indeed. But don't worry, Tria." Liu Ren told me as we stepped out into the Center of Fossil Park Asia, "We'll help you through this, however we can. We're your friends, and we'll always be here for you, no matter what. Don't ever forget that."

"Thank you, Liu Ren." I said to the Asian leader, embracing him around his waist, "I am very grateful for all the support that you, and all of the Wardens, have given me."

"You have no need to thank me, or any of us. It's the least we can do." Liu Ren replied, wrapping an arm around me in a return embrace as he muttered more quietly, voice tight with guilt, "Since we're the ones putting you through this in the first place…"

"Liu Ren." I chided the older male, squeezing tighter for a second before releasing him, "I've told this to Elric, and I'll tell it to you; you couldn't have revived me if I hadn't wanted to return. I knew the consequences, but I came back anyway, and no matter what happens, I do not and will not regret this decision."

Liu Ren smiled at me gratefully, squeezing my shoulder once more before returning to his office. I smiled in return, enjoying the release of the tension I had felt between me and the Asian leader since I'd eavesdropped on their conversation after I'd lost control. I then caught a glimpse of red out of the corner of my eye and turned to look at Nibbles as he trotted up to me.

" _Hey there, Nibbles._ " I growled to the little vivosaur, smiling at him. My smile then fell when I saw the concern in his eyes. " _What's wrong?_ "

" _Penny is very upset. She's looking for you._ " Nibbles replied, leading me across the Fossil Center lobby. I followed him immediately, my concern matching his even as I sighed at the emergence of yet another problem I had to deal with.


	36. Family

When I approached my Asian comrade, she was fidgeting nervously, looking more on edge than I'd ever seen her as she hid behind a plant in the lobby. She even jumped when she first noticed me before smiling shakily.

"Thanks for finding her, Nibbles." Penny thanked the little vivosaur, smiling at him before turning her attention back to me, "I'm glad you're here, Tria. I'm in a real bind right now."

"What's wrong?" I asked the obviously-distressed girl, placing a wing-claw on her shoulder in a gesture of support. She gripped it in return as she looked into my eyes, her own glittering blue ones pleading.

"Remember when we fought with Nate in the tournament earlier? And how it was broadcast all over the world?" she asked me. When I nodded, she continued, "Well, my father was watching. And that's not good. It's not good at all!"

"Why not?" I asked, confused.

"Because…" Penny muttered, looking between me and Nibbles before admitting desperately, "I'm a runaway!"

"You are?!" I exclaimed, shocked by the revelation.

" _Seriously?!_ " Nibbles almost screamed, also having been taken by surprise.

"It's true!" Penny cried, grabbing my shoulders as she despaired, "And just now my father called and said he was sending someone to take me home. But I don't WANT to go home!" She then buried her face in her hands and sobbed, "Oh, what am I gonna do?!"

"There you are, Penny!" a voice announced from the Center entrance. Penny jolted and turned to face the three men who approached us. Nibbles took an aggressive stance and growled dangerously, and I activated my holographic disguise before the strangers could see my true form.

"Oh no!" Penny cried, hiding behind me without even noticing that I had taken on my human disguise, "It's Perry, Terry, and Larry!"

The three men stood in front of us. They looked very similar, indicating that they were triplets, with black hair and dark brown eyes. They wore outfits eerily similar to the disguise Kowloon used when he entered the Parsec Cup as 'Crow', one outfit being light brown, one dark blue, and the third gray. They all stood in front of us, their arms crossed and their eyes expectant.

"I never imagined we'd find you all the way out here, m'lady!" the one with the light brown outfit said, sounding slightly amazed.

"Well then, enough dawdling. Let's return to the manor." the one with the dark blue outfit ordered.

"Your father is waiting for us. He is very worried." the one with the gray outfit informed the blond girl behind me.

"No!" Penny yelled from her place behind me, "I've worked so hard to make it into the Wardens! I am not going to leave it all behind!"

The man with the dark blue outfit sighed. "You're the precious daughter and sole heir of the billionaire Moneybags family. You can't be cavorting about in some kind of amusement park. It isn't safe!"

"This is for your own good, Penny." the light brown added.

"We're only looking out for you." the gray stated.

"Moneybags?" I thought to myself, cringing, "I think Lucente suits her a lot more."

"No!" Penny yelled again, finally stepping out from behind me and glaring at the men with her hands on her hips, "I'm not going with you! I'm not a child anymore, and I can do what I want with my life! I'm a Warden, and that means I'm going to stay here and help people in need!"

"Huh. Well, it seems your mind's made up." the light brown stated before sighing, "And yet we were told not to return without you…"

"Perhaps we can settle this with a Fossil Battle?" the dark blue suggested, more to his brothers than to Penny.

"Huh?" Penny squeaked, backing up slightly, suddenly hesitant.

"Yes." the gray agreed, facing Penny more directly, "If we win, you agree to come back without a word. But if you win, we promise to do everything in our power to convince your father to let you stay here."

I arched an eyebrow, not missing how the gray male winked at the other two, and how they smirked back. Penny didn't seem to notice.

"Fine! I accept!" she yelled to them, her clenched fists trembling.

"All right. We'll settle this in the Stadium. We've reserved the entire Stadium, so we'll wait there. Meet us in the arena once you're ready." the dark blue told her, before the three turned around simultaneously and strode toward the Fossil Stadium with confidence.

"Ugh…" Penny groaned, burying her face in her hands again, "What am I going to do now?" She looked at me, the fear in her eyes pitiable. "Those three have been my bodyguards my entire life. They TAUGHT me how to battle! How am I supposed to beat them?!"

"Beat who?" another voice asked curiously. We all turned to see Nate approach us, tilting his head in question.

"The bodyguards from my manor." Penny muttered sadly, "They came to take me back home, but I don't want to go back home! I have to beat them in a Fossil Battle, but I don't think I can! I-"

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa WHOA!" Nate cried, cutting off Penny's fearful ramble as he waved his arms about, "Back up! Your BODYGUARDS?! Your MANOR?! You didn't tell me you were filthy rich!"

"I'm not." Penny replied, "My father is. I ran away from home to become a Warden, and when he saw me on television during the Leidy Cup, he sent my bodyguards to bring me back, so now I have to beat them in a Fossil Battle, or I'll be forced to leave to Wardens!"

"What?! You can't leave the Wardens!" Nate exclaimed.

"I don't want to leave the Wardens!" Penny replied, looking at the taller male with tearful eyes, "But if I can't beat them, I'll have to!"

"Well then." Nate said, an unusual resolve in his tone, "There's nothing more to say." He glared at us with determination. "I'm going to help you!"

Penny, Nibbles, and I all startled at the sudden declaration from the normally-timid male. "Really, Nate?" Penny asked. Nate nodded.

"You're my friend, Penny, and my comrade. You helped me win the tournament for my sister, and even before then, you've been there for me since we got here." he said, smiling at his friend, "You've helped me so much, so now it's my turn to help you!"

"Oh, Nate!" Penny cried, hugging her friend happily, "Thank you so much!"

"We're here for you as well." I stated, sharing a glance and a nod with Nibbles, "We'll fight by your side."

"Really?" Penny asked, her gaze focusing on Nibbles, "You're going to help too, Nibbles?" My offer to assist didn't surprise her, but Nibbles' offer did.

" _Yeah._ " he growled, looking away sheepishly, " _Those guys are annoying. I want to wipe those grins off their faces!_ " He wouldn't make eye contact with any of the humans. Penny looked at me, and when I winked at her, she positively beamed as she hugged the little vivosaur to her chest.

"Thank you, Nibbles!" she thanked him, her affection making him blush and struggle half-heartedly. I giggled at the spectacle, hiding my smile behind my hand.

" _Do you mind fighting along with me, Nibbles?_ " I asked, looking down at my companion.

" _Of course not!_ " Nibbles declared vehemently, jumping into my arms when Penny released him, " _I haven't fought with you in forever!_ "

"Are you fighting, Tria?" Nate asked, looking slightly nervous despite himself. I swallowed the nausea at his reaction and replied.

"Not directly, no, but I do intend to stand in as Nibbles' fighter for this battle. After all…" I smiled at Penny, "You're my friend, too, you know. More than that, you, and the rest of the Wardens, are my family, and I will protect my family. That's a promise."

Penny stared into my eyes, tears entering hers, and she practically pounced on me, embracing me tightly.

"Thank you, Tria! Thank you so much!" she cried into my shoulder. I hugged her in return, rubbing her back soothingly.

When she let go, we all headed for the Stadium, my three companions entering the large building. I remained outside, making a quick phone call summoning someone else to the Fossil Park. I knew that, despite his continued wariness of the Wardens, he would respond to my call immediately, so I stood in front of the parking lot to wait for him. Sure enough, less than a minute later, the man I had summoned came out of the Garage and approached me.

"You called me, Alpha?" Kowloon addressed me, his attempts to show respect becoming smoother with practice.

"Indeed I did, Kowloon. I need your assistance with something." I replied to my underling, looking around as he arched an eyebrow. I gestured for him to lean closer to me and growled, " _I am entering a battle alongside Penny and Nate against three of Penny's bodyguards, who intend to take her away from the Wardens against her will. They claim to be willing to back down if they lose the Fossil Battle, but I know better. They have something else planned, so I want you to be a lookout. If they try anything, I want you ready to pounce. Can I count on you, Kowloon?_ "

" _Of course, Alpha._ " Kowloon snarled back, standing straighter, " _I shall hide in the Stadium lobby. I am at your beck and call._ "

" _That's reassuring to hear._ " I purred, smiling at the taller male, " _Thank you, Kowloon._ " I then entered the Stadium, Kowloon slipping in after me unnoticed.

"THERE you are, Tria!" Nate indirectly scolded me, "What took you so long?"

"Just taking some extra precautions." I replied vaguely, my expression betraying nothing.

"What kind of precautions?" Penny asked me, suddenly worried.

"Necessary precautions." I responded, intentionally unhelpful. The humans glared at me in frustration, then looked down at Nibbles when they heard him growl.

" _What's-_ " Nibbles started to growl, but a short snarl from me silenced him. He looked up at me in surprise, but didn't argue any further when he was faced with my unusually-harsh glare. The humans glanced at each other uneasily, but decided to leave the matter alone as we entered the arena.

"We've been waiting for you, Penny." the man with the light brown outfit, Perry, said as we drove onto the battlefield.

"We hope you're ready to face us. We won't hold back!" the man in the dark blue, Terry, declared.

"We'll see if you really are strong enough to be on your own like this." the man in the gray, Larry, added.

"I'm not alone! I'm a Warden, and the Wardens help each other! It's what we do!" Penny informed them, her confidence boosted by the knowledge that her friends stood with her.

"You tell 'em, Penny!" Nate cheered, throwing his fist in the air in an animated gesture.

"Don't underestimate the Wardens." I told our opponents, adding seriously, "Or their allies."

Both sides sent out their teams. Hypsi whistled aggressively at the men who threatened her fighter, her fire flaring far more violently than usual. Nibbles roared, declaring his power for all to hear. And Nate sent out a vivosaur he'd been training, his aggressive nature presenting both a healthy challenge and a needed boost for his timid fighter: U-raptor.

The team sent out by Penny's bodyguards stood confidently before us. Terry's Hypsi US faced its Fire-type counterpart with a patronizing chirp. Paraloph stomped the ground in a rare show of aggression toward the raptor, and the toxic Water-type Angato flashed its poison-coated fangs at the Crimson Ravager. With the cries of the of the vivosaurs echoing in the empty Stadium, the battle began.

"Hyspi! Soothing Song!" Penny ordered. The small Fire-type sang beautifully.

"Paraloph! Cheerful Cry!" Perry ordered in response. The Air-type cried out happily to the sky, the sound canceling out Hypsi's attack.

"U-raptor! Lunging Claw!" Nate called to his own Fire-type raptor. U-raptor screeched at his opponents as he dashed forward, claws ready to slash the Air-type herbivore.

"Angato! Poison Bite!" Larry issued his order. The larger Water-type charged at U-raptor with jaws agape.

"Nibbles! Crimson Flames!" I commanded. Nibbles opened his jaws and unleashed his flames, stopping Angato while damaging Paraloph. U-raptor hesitated in the face of Nibbles' attack as well, before glancing back at his fighter, who nodded.

"Keep going, U-raptor! Don't let the fire fade!" Nate ordered confidently. U-raptor shrieked in confirmation, darting through the flames and slashing Paraloph, his claws carrying Nibbles' flames with them. The Air-type, unable to withstand the double assault, fell, returning to its fighter as a Dino Gear.

"Angato! Fight through it! Crush that raptor!" Larry ordered. Angato continued its attack, closing its jaws around U-raptor and poisoning him. U-raptor shrieked in pain, struggling violently, before another blow made Angato release him.

"Thanks, Penny!" Nate called to his teammate as U-raptor returned to his side of the field.

"No problem, Nate!" Penny called back as Hypsi bounded over to her. She fired a Support Shot from her Bone Buggy that cured U-raptor of Angato's poison as I continued the fight.

"Nibbles! Crimson Assault! Finish Angato!" I commanded. Nibbles howled and shot forward.

"Oh no you don't!" Terry challenged, "Hypsi US! Capacity Drain!"

Hypsi US, who had been at the back of the field, stepped forward and opened its beak, absorbing Nibbles' Fossil Power and rendering his attack useless. Nibbles jumped back, growling in frustration.

"We've got them now!" Larry cheered, "Angato! Baneful Curse!"

"Don't be so sure!" Penny challenged back, "Hyspi! Chaotic Chord!"

Angato howled hauntingly, releasing a toxic aura toward our team. Hypsi jumped in front of her teammates and sang her wild song, the chaotic notes blocking Angato's curse.

"Nice work, Penny!" I praised the Warden, "We'll take care of that nuisance! Nate!"

"Way ahead of you!" Nate agreed with my implied order. Nibbles and U-raptor leapt into the air, over the combating energies below, and shot toward Angato, claws ready.

"Somersault Kick!"

"Crimson Combo!"

U-raptor landed in front of the Water-type carnivore and darted forward, kicking it into the air before it could even react. Nibbles then shot forward with the flames from his frill and struck the venomous vivosaur with his powerful claws, sending it back to its fighter as a Dino Gear.

"This won't stand!" Terry yelled, enraged, "Hypsi US! High Capacity Drain! Bring those vivosaurs to their knees!" Hypsi opened its beak again, absorbing nearly all of Nibbles and U-raptor's strength. As they landed, struggling to stand, the Water-type charged again, readying a powered strike.

"Oh no, you don't!" Penny yelled as Hypsi stood in front of her teammates once more and glared viciously at her opponent, "Now, Hypsi! Diva's Dance!"

Hypsi chirped, her voice almost sadistic, as she gathered her fossil energy and the energy of her teammates. She then unleashed it in a song of power and defiance. With Hypsi US frozen by the power of the song, Hypsi marched up confidently to her final opponent and delivered a powerful kick to its chest, sending it back to its fighter as her team howled victoriously.

"Yes! We won!" Penny cheered.

"Now you can stay with us, Penny!" Nate cried happily, returning the blond's spontaneous embrace and spinning her around.

"Grr!" Nibbles cheered as well, jumping around happily. He then looked at me when he noticed I wasn't celebrating.

"Be careful, guys." I said seriously, my eyes locked on the entrance of the arena, where the trio of Penny's bodyguards were approaching from. We held our place in the middle of the empty lobby, even the receptionist suspiciously absent, as we faced the three men, their combined intimidation not lost on me.

"I didn't think we'd actually lose!" Perry exclaimed, looking shocked.

"You've grown strong, Penny." Terry praised his former charge.

"And now that I've won, you'll help convince my father to let me stay, right?" Penny asked hopefully.

"Normally, we are men of our word, and thus would've done everything in our power to convince your father to let you stay. However…" Larry began, watching the faces of the two Wardens and the vivosaur fall while my eyes narrowed in expectant suspicion, "Your father also made it very clear that, if we returned without you, we would lose our jobs. And we like living in your manor, so…" Without another word, the three men lunged at us, Perry and Terry moving to restrain me and Nate while Larry moved to grab Penny. I sidestepped Terry to stand in front of Penny, deactivating my holographic disguise as I blocked Larry's strike with my arms, my wings pushing the other two back.

" _Now, Kowloon!_ " I roared to my packmate, startling the triplets with my appearance and voice and the Wardens with my words.

At my command, Kowloon jumped out from behind the plant he'd been using for cover and grabbed Perry and Terry, trapping one with each arm, before pinning Larry to the floor with his legs. He unsheathed his claws and held them at the throats of the men in his arms, increasing the weight on his third captive's neck to emphasize the danger before he could get any thoughts of escape.

"What the hell?!" Perry cried, attempting to shy away from Kowloon's claws.

"Who the hell is this guy?!" Terry squeaked, fear now dominating his voice.

"I-I-Is that…?!" Nate stuttered, trembling violently at the sight of the former BR lieutenant.

"K-Kowloon?!" Penny cried, terrified of the man her roommate had warned her about, the small glimpse of him she got in the Neo Black Whale not doing any justice to the man's true intimidation, "Wh-What are you doing here?!"

"B…Bastard…" Larry gasped, struggling to lift his head enough to speak, "You'll…regret this. When…our boss…finds out…you'll…pay…"

"Shut up, worm." Kowloon snarled, pushing him down again, "You're in no position to make threats."

"Somehow, I doubt even your boss can stand up to the Commander of the Vivosaurs." I told the three men, standing over them threateningly, "All the money in the world is meaningless to me and the members of my pack. Having money does not make the world your personal playground, nor does it give you the right to control people's lives. Take that message back to your master, and if he has a problem with it, he can take it up with me. Do you understand?"

Larry, with his head and neck still pinned under Kowloon's legs, couldn't respond, but Perry and Terry could. They nodded, staring at me fearfully. I nodded in return before giving Kowloon his next command.

" _Release them._ " I growled, my tone telling the humans and the non-humans just how ready I was for them to try something else so I could attack them again. That sentiment was not lost on Kowloon, who snarled as he got off of Larry's neck and released Perry and Terry. He moved to stand just behind me in a vivosaurian gesture of respect and submission, watching the three men with a strange mix of wariness and bloodlust. As the three men stood shakily, Penny approached her former bodyguards.

"Perry…Terry…Larry…" she mumbled, her eyes filled with sorrow and pity, "I'm sorry to put you through this. I always saw you three as my best friends, and I don't like to see you suffer."

"If you…really feel…that way…" Larry gasped, still recovering from Kowloon's attack while his brothers supported him, "You'd…come back with us."

Penny shook her head resolutely, glancing back at us before replying, "No. I belong here with the Wardens. I have so many friends here, too, and more than that…" She looked back at me again and smiled. "They're my family. My home is with them, and I will help and protect them, just like they've done for me."

I smiled back at my friend, nodding in confirmation. Nate beamed at his comrade, giving her a thumbs up. Nibbles growled happily and jumped around again. Kowloon snorted and looked away, knowing he wasn't a part of the Warden family, and I squeezed his leg briefly with my tail to remind him that, although he wasn't a part of their family, he was a part of mine.

The triplets looked between Penny and the group standing behind her before struggling to their feet. They almost looked like they were about to move toward Penny, but seeing Kowloon raise his arm convinced them otherwise, and they limped out of the Fossil Stadium. They passed the rest of the Asian Wardens without much of a glance. I could sense Kowloon instinctively try to shrink back behind me at the increasingly number of Wardens, but he checked himself, remaining by my side as any loyal pack member would. I smiled at him.

"Nate! Penny!" Roland called out to his teammates.

"What's going on?" Mei Lian asked, focusing on her roommate. That is, until she noticed the man standing beside me. "Kowloon?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"You sneaking scoundrel! We have finally found you!" Hanzo declared, appearing from a puff of smoke as he always did. As the two veteran Wardens charged toward Kowloon, their leader called out to them.

"Mei Lian! Hanzo! Hold on! Don't attack Kowloon!" Liu Ren yelled to his subordinates. They didn't seem to hear him. What they, and everyone else, did hear was the command given by the second-highest ranking Warden.

"Tria! Hold!" Elric's voice carried in the empty Stadium lobby, his tone that of practiced sternness that left no room for argument.

Mei Lian and Hanzo skidded to a halt, Liu Ren stopping with them, and they, along with the Asian graduates and Nibbles and even Kowloon himself, stared at me in shocked confusion. I stood in front of my packmate, snarling at the Wardens with my wings extended to their full span and the claws on them bared. Even more startling to the group was the sparkling white mist leaking from between my teeth. I had actually prepared to use my Divine Mist against my Warden allies, and that fact had them paralyzed. I glared at the Captain's emissary, holding him most responsible for this continued insult.

"I thought I made it clear that the Wardens would stop hunting and attacking Kowloon." I snarled at Elric, the implicit order not lost on the other Wardens, "And that I would take action against any who tried. Am I mistaken in my memory, or was I simply not clear enough?"

"No. You are not mistaken, and you were perfectly clear." Elric answered, knowing better than to attempt to placate me, "But only the Captain, the Professor, the leaders, and myself knew of those orders. The other Wardens knew Kowloon had escaped, and Hanzo had been called off his search, but they weren't informed of anything else. The Captain didn't deem it necessary to explain the full situation to them and provoke the arguments, protests, and unease that would inevitably arise."

I continued to bare my teeth, my wings still extended halfway, but I cut off the flow of mist and dropped my aggressive stance. I was not satisfied with that answer, but the immediate danger had passed, and further attack wouldn't solve anything. I also didn't want to hurt my friends, or make them upset, but I was Kowloon's alpha, and I would protect him. Penny looked around at her comrades, then at me and Kowloon, before approaching hesitantly.

"Kowloon?" she spoke to the dangerous man, the fear in her tone unclear in origin. When he looked at her, his visible eye glaring warily, she bowed to him. "Thank you for saving me. I couldn't have fought off my bodyguards without your help."

Kowloon looked away from the girl, ignoring the expression of absolute shock on the faces of Mei Lian, Roland, Hanzo, and Liu Ren, and stated dismissively, "Don't flatter yourself, Warden. I only helped you because my alpha told me to. I was just following her orders."

Penny looked slightly taken aback by Kowloon's harsh tone, but one look at my expression told her all she needed to know, and she smiled at him before bowing again and turning around to head out of the Stadium. Nate and Roland were quick to follow her, still nervous around their former enemy. Mei Lian followed after her roommate as well after a final glance at me, the look in her eyes that of painful betrayal. Hanzo looked at me, his own eyes containing disapproval, before he disappeared in another puff of smoke. Liu Ren left as well with a nod to me, his body language communicating a resigned trust in my judgement. Elric approached me, pulling down one of my wings as he always did to calm me, and I addressed him.

"Take a message to Stryker." I told him, my voice as uncompromising as his had been, "Tell him to explain the situation with Kowloon to the rest of the Wardens. I do not want this to happen again."

"I think that would be the best course of action." Elric replied, patting my shoulder before looking up at Kowloon, "Kowloon. On behalf of the Wardens, I apologize for this misguided attack. It is taking a while to get used to your presence, but I assure you that, once this is settled, we will do everything in our power to make you feel welcome here."

"Save it." Kowloon snapped at Elric, glaring at him more viciously, "I am not a Warden, nor am I trying to be. I serve under the Commander of the Vivosaurs; that's the place I've found. I need no other."

"Of course." Elric muttered in response, taking Kowloon's harshness more in stride than Penny had, "Then I shall leave you to your alpha. It seems I'm going to be quite busy today." He glanced at me when he said that, blaming me for said work. I simply nodded, accepting the blame without comment. Elric then left the Stadium, dragging the protesting Nibbles with him and leaving me with Kowloon.

" _You have my thanks, Kowloon._ " I said to him, " _You did very well, especially with restraining yourself when the Wardens attacked you. I am quite impressed._ "

Kowloon looked away again, this time in embarrassment. " _I knew you'd protect me. I trust you, Alpha. If you can handle a situation better than I can, I will not interfere._ "

My eyes widened, shocked at the revelation that Kowloon, the man who trusted no one, actually trusted me as his alpha. I smiled even as my eyes became clouded with tears, and I extended one of my wing-hands to him. Despite the attack he'd suffered from it on the Neo Black Whale, he didn't flinch away from the powerful limb. Instead, he interlaced his own fingers with the claws on my wing, accepting it just as he had me. The joy from the trust my packmate had in me reassured me that the action I had taken against the Wardens had been the right thing to do. I looked up at him when I heard him rumble quietly, almost hesitantly.

" _Is there anything else you need from me, Alpha?_ " he asked, watching me carefully. I tilted my head as I continued to look up at him.

" _There isn't anything else you are absolutely required for._ " I replied, continuing before he could comment, " _However, you do not have to leave the Fossil Parks if you don't want to. That is up to you._ "

" _I am not welcome here._ " Kowloon growled back, staring at the entrance of the Stadium as if expecting another attack, " _I cannot stay here on my own._ "

" _When did I say you had to be alone?_ " I asked, bringing Kowloon's gaze back to me.

" _Who else would I be with?_ " he asked me, confused, " _Zinodious isn't any more welcome here than I am._ "

" _Why are you here right now, Kowloon?_ " I asked him, arching an eye ridge.

" _Because you called me here, Alpha._ " Kowloon answered immediately, before his confusion deepened, " _But you said you didn't need me._ "

" _I said you weren't absolutely required for anything right now._ " I corrected my packmate, " _That does not mean you are not permitted to remain at my side. In fact, your company would be welcome. A lot of things have been setting me off today, so having a trusted packmate nearby would be a great comfort. It would also allow you to get used to the Fossil Parks, and it would allow the Fossil Parks to get used to you. Of course…_ " I retracted my wing and returned it to my shoulder. " _As I also said, that's up to you. I won't force you to remain in a place where you're, justifiably, uncomfortable, but I will tell you that your past does not have to keep you out. If you want to be here, you can be, for you have friends and allies here, too._ "

When I'd finished, I found Kowloon staring at me, his visible eye wide. It also looked slightly cloudy, a look that would have been tearful on anyone else. He held out his hand again, subconscious, and I placed my own hand in it.

" _Then, if you'll permit me, Alpha._ " he growled, his tone…happy. Not the kind of joy he got from battle, but the warmth and comfort of knowing where he belonged, knowing that he'd finally found a home. " _I would like to remain by your side for a while longer._ "

" _I would like nothing more._ " I replied, leading him out of the Fossil Stadium, feeling his joy and increasing comfort as he took his place beside me, his alpha, and followed me through the sunny Fossil Park that was, despite everything, looking just a little bit brighter.


	37. Hearts Darken

The Captain's office looked darker when the Wardens all gathered there, even though the lights were on. The tension was nearly suffocating as the Wardens either glared in annoyance, fidgeted nervously, or silently fumed.

The three leaders stood at the side, together by habit, each glancing at the others uneasily. Even though only Liu Ren actually knew what this was about, Sean and Drake had a pretty good idea just by looking at one of Liu Ren's subordinates. Said subordinate, Mei Lian, was standing on the other side of the office, trembling with the force of her rage. Her roommate, Penny, had her hand on the other girl's quaking shoulder, whispering soothing words to her in an attempt to calm her. Nibbles stood next to Penny, glaring at every human in the room. Nate and Roland were standing behind Penny, too wary of Mei Lian's anger to get closer as they took comfort in their own shared fear. Hanzo, more used to Mei Lian's temper and more confident in his own ability to counter it, stood on Mei Lian's other side, his eyes deep in thought. Becky stuck close to her brother, looking at him almost pleadingly in search of answers, while Leon stood near the middle of the room, more used to reporting than the rest of his fellow graduates, with his arms crossed and his expression irritable. Dahlia stood right next to Leon, tapping her foot impatiently with her hands on her hips. Violet stood next to her leader, clutching her wand as she stared at the floor, her look one of knowing dread. Professor Little stood next to the Captain's desk in his usual spot, looking like he wanted to hide from the agitated group before him. I stood on the Captain's other side, my own expression carefully neutral as I held my hands behind my back.

"I am sorry for calling all of you here on such short notice." Captain Stryker apologized to the group before him, his elbows on his desk and his fingers interlaced, "But this information has already been withheld from you all for too long. We need this situation to be understood before another incident occurs."

Mei Lian growled dangerously, looking like she desperately wanted to hit something. Even Penny was beginning to back off, her roommate's rage too strong even for her.

"What kind of information?" Leon asked, his professional tone slipping in the face of his annoyance at the Captain's roundabout explanation.

Captain Stryker didn't answer, but instead looked at Liu Ren, who sighed.

"Kowloon's here, as you know." he explained, "What you may not know is that he didn't escape from capture on his own. In fact, he didn't escape at all; he was released."

"What?!" Leon cried, fear and anger entering his eyes.

"You guys released Kowloon intentionally?!" Becky asked, staring at her brother desperately.

"No…" Sean muttered, quieter than anyone had ever heard him. Drake whimpered.

"We didn't release Kowloon." Liu Ren clarified, "Tria did."

"Tria released Kowloon?!" Dahlia screamed, getting scared at the direction this conversation was going, "Why?!"

"Did he promise to help her?" Penny asked, mostly in an attempt to placate her fuming roommate.

"We don't claim to understand her reasons, either." Liu Ren replied, glancing at me for elaboration. Everyone else followed suit, and I sighed.

"Kowloon had asked her to be his alpha, and she accepted. That means he is now a member of her pack, so she released him and now protects him. He, in return, does the same, following her orders and helping when possible." I explained, carefully observing the reactions of the Wardens.

"Alpha?" Roland asked, not understanding its meaning any more than any of the humans did.

" _Tria is Kowloon's alpha?_ " Nibbles growled, his voice unusually soft with shock.

"What the hell does that mean?" Leon snarled, his own lack of understanding increasing his aggression.

"A vivosaurian alpha is the leader of a pack." I explained further, "He or she guides the other members of the pack, on and off the battlefield, giving them advice, companionship, and a sense of acceptance and belonging. In return, the alpha's underlings follow the alpha's orders, responding immediately when called, attacking or restraining or guarding as the alpha commands. In addition, the underlings support the alpha, protecting him or her and helping when he or she needs it. The underling will give his or her life for the alpha, and the alpha gives the underling a life worth living."

"And Tria is willing to do that for Kowloon?" Nate asked, still confused.

"Is he really trustworthy enough?" Becky added, her blue eyes shining with concern.

"Tria seems to think so." Violet muttered, clutching her wand even more tightly.

"Tria does trust Kowloon." I stated, "She wouldn't have allowed him into her pack otherwise."

"WHY?!" the voice of Mei Lian finally exploded, causing everyone around her to shrink away, "Why would Tria trust someone like Kowloon?! Has she already forgotten everything he's done?! Doesn't she remember all the damage he's done?! The pain he made us suffer…" She trailed off, her breath catching in her throat, and she started sobbing from the strain of her own anger and, more than that, betrayal. Penny wrapped her arms around Mei Lian, cradling her gently.

"Tria hasn't forgotten what Kowloon has done, Mei Lian, to you or anyone else." I replied, my tone calm and understanding, "But Tria can also see the reasons behind Kowloon's actions. Sees them, and understands them."

"What reasons?" Professor Little asked, looking at me curiously.

"Kowloon's apparently been looking for a home for a long time, a place where he can belong." I replied, "Not many accept him, so he was left alone and outcasted for many years. When he finally found someone who accepted him without trying to change him, he followed that person's orders loyally, just as he does with Tria now."

"And that person…?" Captain asked, more for confirmation than anything.

"Was Dr. Blackraven." I answered, noting the hatred on everyone's faces in response to the mention of the BR Brigade's leader, "Everything Kowloon did in the Fossil Parks was a result of Dr. Blackraven's orders."

"But Kowloon followed Dr. Blackraven's orders for years." Becky put forward, "How can he so easily start obeying Tria now?"

"Kowloon has strong loyalty for anyone who accepts him for who he is." I replied, "He followed Dr. Blackraven because he thought he could find a place in the world the doctor was trying to create. Tria has already given him a place, so he will do everything in his power to maintain that place and the alpha who stands at its center. And with his loyalty gained, Kowloon has become a valuable ally."

"I can attest to that." Penny said, still holding Mei Lian.

"As can I!" Hanzo declared, startling everyone in the room, "I was following Kowloon when Tria lost control. He had been speaking to Olga in Autumn Garden when he had suddenly stopped and rushed to the Fossil Park, pulling Olga with him. I had heard him state that something was wrong with Tria and they had to help her."

"A pack member will defend his alpha." I agreed, nodding.

"How did he know Tria was in trouble?" Leon asked, equally confused and suspicious.

"That, I do not know." Hanzo replied, sounding ashamed, "His senses are stronger than mine."

"Even if Kowloon is a reliable ally, why would Tria want to help him?" Professor Little asked himself. When he noticed everyone staring at him, he jolted slightly before continuing, "Even if his was only carrying out Dr. Blackraven's orders, he still did some terrible things, including injuring fellow Wardens." He glanced at Mei Lian, who looked at the floor and sniffled. "Why would Tria even want to help him?"

I sighed again, mentally preparing myself for the backlash that would undoubtedly result from my answer.

"Because Tria sees herself in Kowloon. He is very similar to her. She's experienced the same struggles he's going through, has gone through. Had her upbringing been different, she could've ended up exactly like Kowloon. That's why she relates to him and seeks to help him."

The Wardens remained quiet for a few seconds as they processed what I'd said. Then they reacted.

"WHAT?!"

"No way!"

"Tria's nothing like Kowloon!"

"What the hell are you saying?!" Mei Lian screamed, standing up and facing me directly, the tracks of her tears still plain on her face, "How dare you compare Tria to Kowloon?! Kowloon's violent, bloodthirsty, and heartless! Tria's nothing like that!"

"As far as you know." I replied, deceptively calm, "But don't forget, you've only known Tria for a few months. I've known her since she was born. I was even present when she hatched. I may have only been a few weeks old at the time, but I remember it perfectly. I know not only what she's capable of now, but what she used to be capable of as well. And I will tell you firsthand that she was not always as patient, gentle, and forgiving as she is now."

"But Tria isn't bloodthirsty or unnecessarily violent!" Mei Lian continued to argue.

"I find it hard to believe Tria would ever attack without a good reason." Becky added.

"Tria looks out for her friends! She doesn't attack them!" Dahlia claimed.

"I don't see how anyone as patient and forgiving as Tria could've ever been otherwise." Leon stated.

"I thought you said she came here in the first place because she is gentle and forgiving." Nate said, choking up slightly.

"Can anyone change so much?" Roland asked.

"Elric…" Liu Ren mumbled hesitantly, "What are you doing?"

The rest of the Wardens tuned back in to my appearance to see me unwinding my purple scarf, removing it from my neck and setting it on the Captain's desk. My fingers lingered on the soft fabric, the scarf a gift from Tria back before we'd come to the Wardens' time, before taking off my jacket and grabbing the bottom of my white shirt to pull it over my head.

"Elric?! What are you doing?!" Captain Stryker exclaimed, standing up in shock as he and the rest of the Wardens gawked at me.

"Giving you proof of my words." I replied, setting my jacket and shirt over my scarf as my hair fell over my left shoulder, "Since my word alone won't suffice."

"How will taking off your clothes prove anything about Tria?!" Sean cried, turning red at my current partial nudity.

I didn't respond verbally, simply walking over to a corner of the room. I then turned so that all of the Wardens could see my left shoulder and moved my hair, baring the marred skin and eliciting gasps from the humans and vivosaur in the room.

"Oh my gosh…" Penny whispered, looking like she was about to start crying. Nate and Roland looked like they were about to be ill.

"What the hell happened to you?!" Leon gasped, his face pale, while Dahlia stared with wide eyes.

"Don't tell me…" Mei Lian whispered, while Hanzo's eyes gained a look of dread.

"Is that…?" Becky asked fearfully. Sean gripped his sister's shoulder, as much for his own comfort as for hers. Violet cringed, and Drake almost seemed to be trying to hide behind his subordinate. Liu Ren sighed and closed his eyes against what he'd seen.

"I…Impossible…" Professor Little whimpered, clutching the Captain's jacket. The Captain himself was looking at me in shock.

" _Did…?_ " Nibbles growled, sounding terrified as he hesitated to even finish the question.

I looked at the scar on my shoulder. The deepest gash ran from the top of my shoulder to my hip, with two other gashes flanking it, each one shallower and traveling from my collarbone to just above my hip. Although long-healed, the distorted skin and easily-seen marks told a clear story of just how deep and bloody the wound had been when first inflicted.

"Yes." I said, guilt rising in my throat at the memory, "I got this wound from Tria. She still beats herself up over it sometimes, despite it being over ten years old by now."

"Did…" Mei Lian whimpered, almost looking smaller as she stared at the scar.

"D-Did Tria…attack you?" Drake stuttered, his familiarity with berserker bloodlust giving the question a painful edge. I shook my head.

"No. I wasn't her original target. She was being harassed by a group of bullies, a common occurrence in her childhood. They didn't attack her physically; they knew she was stronger than they could ever be, but they were throwing some nasty verbal abuse at her. Tria tried to ignore them, but then they said something she was sensitive to and she lost it. She'd lunged at them, shattering the ground where they'd been standing before going in for the kill. I got in the way, and this is the result."

The Wardens all looked at each other, their expressions ranging from uneasy to tearful to furious.

"What happened to those assholes?" Leon asked through clenched teeth, his own experience with bullies igniting his inner fire in response to my tale.

"They got away." I replied, noting how Leon seemed conflicted between relief and disappointment, "When I interfered and was injured, Tria returned to her senses and focused on me. She was more traumatized than I was."

"You said that scar's over ten years old." Penny said, gulping, "How old were you two?"

I looked down at the purple scarf on the desk, running my hands over the fabric again as I said sorrowfully, "This particular incident happened…at Tria's 7th birthday party. I had turned seven just a few weeks prior."

Penny gasped, tears re-entering her eyes. Behind her, Nate and Roland paled.

"So those losers ruined the party, and you were hurt protecting them?!" Dahlia screamed disbelievingly.

"That kind of harassment was nothing new." I replied, "Tria never was very welcome in our world, by the humans or dinaurians. Those closest to her accept her, but people who don't understand her fear her. And when humans fear something, they attempt to scare it away, if not physically, then verbally. She just lost her patience with them this time. However, the consequences would've been worse if she'd actually managed to attack and kill them. There would've been a huge outcry, and Tria would've been in far worse danger. Because I, along with my parents, understood her and were close to her, we didn't try to punish her for my injury. So, while I appeared to be protecting those idiotic humans, in reality, I was protecting Tria. I've always looked after Tria, and I don't intend to stop now."

I looked at each Warden individually, including the alpha of Tria's team, making sure I had their full attention when I said, "Do you understand now, Wardens? Tria did not always have her current level of kindness. She always looked after those close to her, but she wasn't always so considerate of those around her. If she hadn't been raised in an accepting environment, one capable of counteracting the distrust of ignorant civilians, she would've become exactly like Kowloon, only far more dangerous. Kowloon was raised by a pack of rogue Zino, causing him to grow into a vivosaur in a human body. He doesn't fit in with vivosaurs; he lacks the strength, speed, and stamina, but he doesn't understand human laws and customs enough to fit in among them either. Tria understands both sides, while simultaneously knowing how it feels to not belong to either, so, when he asked her if he could join her pack, she accepted. She intends to guide him in coexisting with humans without having to change himself. In short, she's teaching him how to exist the same way she does. But in order for that to work, she can't let the Wardens attack him, so she'll protect him, even against all of you. She doesn't enjoy standing against you, but if she has to choose between the Wardens and her pack, she will choose her pack." I looked at the Wardens, actually pleading for the first time in years. "Please…don't make her do that. Don't make her choose between you and her pack."

The Wardens all looked at each other again, the sympathy and pity on their faces making me sick.

"Of course, Elric." Captain Stryker answered for the Wardens, "We support Tria, no matter what."

I glared at the Captain, not forgetting the argument just the day before that had almost gotten him killed, but I didn't comment on it.

"Kowloon did protect me." Penny repeated, "Even on Tria's orders, so he can't be all bad."

"And he's helped Tria when she needed it, so at least he's loyal to her." Liu Ren supplied.

Everyone looked at Mei Lian, who was looking at the floor. She jolted from the attention and looked at the faces around her before sighing.

"It's no secret that I don't like Kowloon, not after what he did to me." she said, clenching her fists before glaring at me, "But Tria's my best friend! She's helped me so much, so I will do everything I can to help her!"

"Excellent." I replied, putting my shirt, jacket, and scarf back on, "Now that that's settled, it's getting late. We should all head back to our own Fossil Parks."

"I agree." Captain Stryker stated, standing up again and ordering in his authoritative voice, "All right, everyone. Dismissed!"

"Sir!" the Wardens responded in sync before filing out of the office. I leaned against the wall, sighing with emotional fatigue. I opened my eyes and glanced down when Nibbles approached me.

" _Was Tria really that violent when she was younger?_ " the small vivosaur asked me.

"Tria has always been violent. That has never changed." I replied, "What has changed is her level of control. She has far more control over herself now than she used to."

" _Then why did you tell that story?_ " Nibbles growled in confusion, " _Kowloon enjoys hurting people. Tria only hurts people when she gets mad and can't control herself. So why did you use that story to tie Tria to Kowloon?_ "

I chuckled. "Very good, Nibbles. You're getting quite thoughtful and observant." I praised him, before answering, "You're right, Nibbles. That story wasn't intended to tie Tria to Kowloon." I gestured for him to follow me, since we were the last ones out of the office. When we were alone in the elevator, I knelt down in front of him.

"The fact is, Tria is losing control of herself. This plague is eating away at her, and the Wardens need to know that. They need to understand that Tria can attack them, can kill them, and can do so without warning. They must not fear her, but they have to know that she can't carry the world on her shoulders alone. She needs their support, their friendship, their community, and their trust, because if she breaks, the consequences will be real."

Nibbles watched me, gulping under the weight of my words.

"That includes you, Nibbles." I told him, making his large green eyes snap back up to me, "You are one of Tria's closest companions. You are very dear to her, and when she falls, she'll need you to catch her."

Nibbles looked at me, his eyes tearful with dread. He then nodded resolutely and stood up taller. " _Tria saved my life. It's only because of her that I have friends, that I am the alpha of a team, that I am happy. She didn't let me fall, so I won't let her fall, either._ "

I smiled gratefully at Nibbles, patting his head gently and standing up as the elevator doors opened. "Good. I'm counting on you." I followed Nibbles out of the elevator, but while he headed to the kitchen for his steak, I stopped, looking in the direction of the World Gate. What I saw there made my heart clench painfully.

Her normally-bright golden eyes were now dull with sorrow and self-loathing, her wings were drooping, and her figure was crouched down to hide from her own friends. Those dull eyes glanced at my shoulder and shimmered for a moment before she turned and darted through the World Gate, evading the eyes of everyone as she fled the Fossil Park that was supposed to be her home. I cringed and squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back the tears that burned them. I then opened my eyes and, with a final glance around the Asian Fossil Center, followed my dearest friend through the World Gate, determined to keep my promise, no matter what.


	38. The Green Wave

I stepped out of the World Gate, my holographic disguise in place, with Kowloon following closely. He was scowling at my disguise, almost as sickened by it as Nibbles. He'd argued against me using it, but I'd responded that I'd already received enough attention today; I didn't need more. He snorted, still displeased, but he didn't argue further, simply accepting my decision as his alpha. I felt him tense when we entered Fossil Park Europe, the unfamiliar setting disturbing him. I then felt him relax spontaneously, and, in the next second, I knew why.

"Hello, Tria…and Kowloon?!" Olga exclaimed in surprise as she approached us, "What are you doing here?!"

"I am following my alpha." Kowloon replied simply.

"I have been set off a couple times today, so I can't fight out of anger." I elaborated, "I'd called Kowloon to help me protect a Warden in Fossil Park Asia, and he's staying with me for a while. I'm here to relax; it's so calm here."

"That sounds to be lovely plan." Olga said, smiling gently, "I would much like to relax, but I must be preparing for the Warden Test."

"Ah, yes. That's coming up soon." I muttered, more to myself than to either of the two humans around me. I then looked up at the tall Russian woman. "Would you like to join us for a bit?"

Olga jolted, staring at me in surprise. I could sense Kowloon jolt as well, and when I glanced back at him, I saw an identical expression on his face: surprise, with a small degree of hope and gratitude.

"Really, Tria?" Olga asked me, "You would allowing me to be relaxing with you?"

"Sure." I replied, "You're my Paleo Pal, and you had said that you wanted to learn at my side. I can advise you on how to live among the Wardens, and your presence would be welcomed by me." I then looked back at my packmate. "What say you, Kowloon?"

Kowloon glared at me for putting him on the spot, but looked away and blushed slightly when he met Olga's gaze.

"I have no objections." he replied, not meeting either of our eyes. I smiled, patting his leg with my tail in praise and comfort. Olga beamed at her former comrade, embracing him spontaneously in her delight. I half-expected him to push the woman away, but he simply turned redder and allowed her to hold him. I smiled wider, glad that Kowloon had someone else who would support him and that Olga had another friend in the Fossil Parks.

"Well, then. Shall we walk around the park, or should we remain standing here?" I asked, smiling up at my two companions.

I'd never imagined that hanging out with two former enemies could be so relaxing, for me or for them. At first, I had worried that their different motives for joining the BR Brigade, Olga's unwilling loyalty and Kowloon's bloodthirsty nature, would've caused a rift between them, but observing them interacting in a casual setting showed anything but. From the close bond they seemed to have, I concluded that Olga's brainwashing wasn't always strong enough to control her, and during her moments of horrified clarity, it was likely that Kowloon had comforted her. It may be hard to imagine Kowloon, cold and violent Kowloon, comforting anyone, but he has vivosaurian loyalty. He takes care of his pack, and since Olga had been a member of his pack, he'd looked after her when she'd needed him.

We entered the Fossil Stadium, ignoring the uneasy glances we were receiving. Even if the civilians didn't recognize me in my human disguise or the two former BR lieutenants, we were still a group consisting of two large, intimidating people following a younger woman around like bodyguards. We continued our conversation, which had me explaining the Seven Scramble, the tournaments used by the Wardens to raise their ranks, without even acknowledging the civilians, until we came across a group standing against the left wall of the Stadium lobby. They caught my eye immediately, and we caught theirs.

"Hm? What you want?" the largest male asked when he saw us. He was bulky, heavily muscular. He had brown hair and a red-and-yellow headband, as well as a white shirt and gray pants. He spoke with the accent of a country bumpkin.

"What's it to you?" Kowloon snarled, sensing a challenge and stepping forward dangerously.

"Oh!" a small-built girl with dark brown hair in pigtails, and orange sweater, and glasses gasped when she saw me, "This individual is Tria! The Commander of the Vivosaurs!" She looked at me with intense fascination.

The large male jolted and stared at me warily. Kowloon turned on the girl, now growling openly at the threat her knowledge of me implied. Olga looked between us and the group nervously, though the source of her unease wasn't clear. I simply arched an eyebrow.

"You've heard of me?" I asked, maintaining a slight air of innocence to keep myself and my companions calm.

"Oh my, yes…" the man standing behind the other two muttered, his tone one of calm intrigue. He had green hair pulled back into a loose ponytail that fell down his back and green eyes to match, his green-striped shirt, dark green vest, and yellow cravat giving him a proper, professional look that matched his tone. "And you two must be the reformed lieutenants of the BR Brigade, Olga and Kowloon."

My two companions jumped slightly at the recognition, Kowloon baring his teeth and Olga edging closer to him with wide, fearful eyes. I didn't react, simply deactivating my holographic disguise and finding amusement in the jolt from the other group.

"Yeah, that's us." I replied, crossing my arms and swishing my tail, "Who are you?"

"Ah, yes. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are the upper brass of the herbivorous vivosaur corps, the Green Wave." the green-haired man told us.

"Me Rocky Collingwood! Me actually very friendly!" the buff male introduced himself, his loud voice making Olga shrink back slightly.

"I'm Gauss Falkenrath. I'm here on scholarship." the girl told us. Kowloon snorted derisively.

"And I am Lancelot Chevalier, the leader of this merry band." the green-haired leader finished, his charming smile that was reminiscent of Elric's still in place.

"Nice to meet all of you." I greeted them in return, "You already know this, but I am Tria Seishin, the Commander of the Vivosaurs."

"I am Olga Stroganoff." Olga added, following my lead, "It is nice to be making your acquaintance."

We all glanced at Kowloon. When it became clear he wasn't going to introduce himself, I did it for him.

"And this is Kowloon Zino. He's not quite as bad-tempered as he seems."

Kowloon stared at me, his eye widening when he registered the last name I'd given him. I then faced the group again, taking note of the satisfied smirk on Kowloon's lips as he did the same.

"The pleasure is ours." Lancelot replied politely, before focusing his attention on me, "Now, Tria. We have heard that you are a strong battler in your own right. We would like to test your strength." He tilted his head. "What do you say? Would you battle us?"

I looked back at my companions. They were both watching me curiously, Olga to see how a Warden should respond to a challenge and Kowloon to see how his alpha would respond.

"Oh, I suppose so." I replied casually, "But just so you know, I'm not very good at holding back."

"Just as it should be." Lancelot said, his smile widening ever-so-slightly.

"According to my slide rule, our odds of beating the Commander of the Vivosaurs are actually-" Gauss began, but she was interrupted by Lancelot.

"That won't be necessary, Gauss."

"Fossil Battles not charted on graph!" Rocky yelled, "Fossil Battles are chaos personified!"

"Er, right." Gauss mumbled, "But I still think it makes sense to analyze our opponent and check the odds before we rush into-"

"Even data has its limits." Lancelot chided his subordinate gently, "We can learn all we need to know by engaging them in battle." He then addressed me directly again, "I'll be using Seidon, by the way. His Tail Axe is legendary. So then, if you're up for a four-round fight, we can let skill decide. What do you say?"

"Let's fight!" I growled, my tail thrashing as my fire flared.

"Excellent!" Lancelot replied happily, "We'll see if you're as good as everyone says."

"Me hold nothing back!" Rocky declared.

"My tactics have been run through over 700 different simulations. Don't say you weren't warned." Gauss informed me. And, with that, the group entered the arena.

"Are you sure this is wise, Alpha?" Kowloon asked me once the humans were out of earshot, "You called me so you could avoid fighting, didn't you?"

"You are not having to fight, Tria." Olga told me, looking at me with concern.

"It'll be all right." I replied, my tone reassuring, "I normally only lose control when I'm attacking out of anger. I'm not angry at these people; they actually seem quite nice. I should enjoy testing myself against them." I then looked back toward the arena and added, "Though, to be safe, I would like you two to watch from the stands. Just in case."

"Of course, Alpha."

"With greatest of pleasures."

"Thank you. Both of you." I said, smiling at them, before heading into the arena's waiting area. There, I took my battle form and faced the three Bone Buggies of the Green Wave.

"Well, Tria, this is it." Lancelot's voice reached me, "Our plan is for you to fight each of us individually, then finish by facing us together. Is that agreeable to you?"

I nodded, knowing they didn't have the translators given to the Wardens. Through their windows, I saw them nod in acceptance. I stepped out into the afternoon sun, followed shortly by a green Heavy Hauler.

"Me gonna smash ya! And bash ya! And craaaaash ya!" Rocky yelled at me from across the field. He then sent out his vivosaur, the Water-type Jiango. The spined vivosaur stomped his feet aggressively. I roared back, extending my wings intimidatingly as the battle began.

Knowing the vivosaur was far slower than I was, I darted forward, keeping myself low to the ground. I also knew from experience that, with the spines covering my opponent's back and tail, attacking from above would not be wise. My tail cracked like a whip as I got beside the herbivore and turned toward it, slashing at its exposed flank while expertly avoiding the long spines jutting out of its upper forelegs. The Water-type staggered sideways from the blow.

"Jiango! Toxic Spike!" Rocky ordered. Jiango narrowed his eyes and spun around, attempting to catch me with his poison-coated spikes. I growled and jumped, flipping over my opponent and landing directly in front of him.

"Jiango! Get back now!" Rocky yelled desperately to his vivosaur.

" _I think not._ " I growled, unleashing my Angel's Fire onto the helpless herbivore. He cried out in pain and retreated to his fighter as a Dino Gear. The audience went wild.

"No!" Rocky cried, "Me got smashed!" He then drove back to the waiting area, his Heavy Hauler soon replaced by a light green Digger's Rig.

"I have completed my analysis of the first battle." Gauss told me, "You should prepare to lose."

" _You shouldn't be so sure._ " I growled in response, even though I knew she couldn't understand me, " _You've seen nothing yet!_ "

Gauss sent out her herbivorous partner, who was very different from the prey animal that my previous opponent had been: the Earth-type Lophus. A regional variant of the Lophus MN who'd helped me defeat Gorgo, the light brown duckbill whistled at me, her confidence similar to that of her fighter, calm and analytical. Her eyes did, however, gain an instinctive wariness when she properly faced the predator who stood against her.

"All right, Lophus. Let's get this started! Battering Ram!" Gauss ordered, choosing a more aggressive tactic based on how ineffective the defensive one was in the previous battle. That worked for me; I simply crouched down and waited for my opponent to come to me. When she got close, I side-stepped around her and rammed into her flank. The herbivore staggered slightly.

"Now! Butt Strike!" Gauss commanded. Lophus laughed and launched herself backward in an attempt to crush me under her weight. I rolled out of the way and cracked my tail across her snout, temporarily blinding her.

"Lophus! Get a hold of yourself!" Gauss called to her partner. I smirked and landed directly in front of the herbivore, staring directly at her from only a few inches away.

" _Nice try._ " I purred sadistically, " _But this fight is mine._ " I then opened my jaws, unleashing my Heaven's Call at point-blank range. The powerful roar deafened the herbivore and sent her fleeing back to her fighter. I had won.

"I…Impossible…" Gauss muttered, staring at me disbelievingly before driving out of the arena.

While she entered the waiting area, I glanced around at the audience. There was a good-sized crowd gathered in the stands, especially for an unofficial battle. Then again, I was fighting directly, and few of the Parks' visitors or residents ever wanted to miss that. I identified Olga and Kowloon sitting in the front row, Olga smiling pleasantly and Kowloon smirking with confident pride. I smiled back at both of them before facing the yellow-and-green Speed Demon that had driven out to meet me.

"Ha!" Lancelot laughed, sounding pleased, "It would seem the rumors about you are true!"

" _For the most part._ " I growled in response as I faced off against Lancelot's partner: the towering Water-type Seidon. His back bore the pattern of flowing water, and as he moved, the pattern rippled like ocean waves. I growled, ready to face off against the massive herbivore.

Just like with my fight against Rocky, I began the battle, dashing toward the slow-moving vivosaur with claws bared.

"Seidon! Head Pounder!" Lancelot ordered calmly. Seidon bellowed and slammed his head into the ground where I had been. I had side-stepped him easily, turning on his flank. From the corner of my eye, I saw Lancelot smirk. "Now! Heavy Shoulder!"

Seidon rumbled with a vivosaurian chuckle and swayed toward me, attempting to slam his massive bulk into me. I snorted.

" _Clever._ " I growled as I leapt upward, my wings giving me the boost I needed, " _But not clever enough!_ " I landed on the sauropod's back and raised my claws for a strike.

"Power Average!" Lancelot's voice reached my ears. It reached Seidon's as well, and he howled, absorbing my strength and decreasing my attack's power. I growled in frustration, slashing at his neck before jumping off his head and landing in front of him.

" _I see._ " I growled, more to myself that anyone, " _That's your strategy. You use your size as your main defense, and you drain your opponent's attack power further to make it even more difficult to bring you down, while simultaneously adding their power to yours. I'll admit, that is impressive. However…_ " I smirked. " _It won't be enough to win against me!_ "

I then roared to the sky, announcing my power to all before me, as my scales brightened. My audience and opponent blocked their eyes from the piercing light of my Blinding Strike. I shot forward, my glowing grin outshining even Becky and Sean's.

"Seidon! Tail Axe!" Lancelot commanded, a hint of desperation entering his voice. Seidon bellowed again and spun around, aiming to strike me down with one blow.

" _Not gonna happen!_ " I shrieked back, leaping over the sauropod's tail like it wasn't even there. I bared my shining teeth and claws and struck the behemoth vivosaur that stood against me. One attack after another landed on the massive herbivore, his size useless against the onslaught.

" _Draining your opponent's power may work when they can only land two or three blows at one time, but when your opponent can land ten or more within seconds, you're helpless!_ "

With that last word, I landed the final strike of the battle. Seidon groaned in pain and fell, reminiscent of a falling building as he crashed to the ground before disappearing in a flash of light. Amid the cheering crowd, I heard Lancelot whistle.

"Wow. That was indeed amazing." he said, driving back to the waiting area. This time, I followed him.

"You really are impressive, Tria." Lancelot praised me as I stood before his team in the waiting area, "But I'm afraid your winning streak ends here."

" _Oh yeah?_ " I growled questioningly, knowing they couldn't understand me.

"Is your strength dangerous? Or can it be harnessed for good? The Green Wave must know!" Lancelot declared, and I froze, "We cut to the core of each opponent!" He looked up at me through his Speed Demon's window. "Tria! Summon a team of your choosing, and hold nothing back!"

I cringed, the Green Wave leader's words striking my entire being. I shook it off, focusing on the battle ahead, and thought briefly about what Lancelot had said about a team before grinning. I turned my head back toward the arena and barked a short command, noticing how both the audience and the Green Wave jumped at the sudden loud noise. Smiling somewhat-smugly, I leaned down in front of my opponents, squarely facing their leader.

"Is your team coming?" he asked. When I nodded, he smiled.

A minute later, the doors leading from the waiting area to the parking lot opened, admitting two Bone Buggies. The dark purple Rock Crusher was covered with spikes, its frightening appearance standing in stark contrast with the personality of its driver. Next to the Rock Crusher was a black-and-gold Turf Shredder with spikes on the wheels and a claw in the front, the driver smirking confidently.

"You called, Alpha?" Kowloon asked, more of a formality than anything. I purred in response, standing and placing myself in between my chosen teammates.

"So you're facing us alongside the two former BR lieutenants? An interesting choice." Lancelot commented, before nodding with something that might've been approval, "All right. Let us begin this search for answers!"

" _Let's._ " I growled, suddenly ice-cold. As the Green Wave drove into the arena, I faced my teammates.

"So we're facing them with you?" Kowloon asked. I nodded.

" _Yes. It would not be wise to push myself too hard right now, so I shouldn't take on an entire team by myself. I also thought it would be good for us to work together. Do you disagree?_ "

"Of course not, Alpha." Kowloon replied immediately. At the confused look Olga gave him, he translated my words for her.

"Oh!" Olga gasped, clapping her hands together happily, "A most wonderful idea! Let us make with the trouncing!"

"They won't know what hit 'em." Kowloon growled, getting excited as he always did before a battle. I smiled at my teammates before turning around and leading them into the arena.

As our teams faced off, the crowd became tense with anticipation and uncertainty. On one hand, they knew this fight would be exciting, but on the other, my teammates were the two former lieutenants of the BR Brigade. They still weren't fond of the organization that had caused so much havoc in the Parks, and to top it all off, I was leading them, and the Park residents' trust in me was even lower than their trust in the BR Brigade. I swallowed the pain that came with that knowledge and called out to my opponents in challenge.

The Green Wave sent out their team of herbivores, Jiango and Lophus standing on either side of Seidon. My team sent out the partners who had stuck with them through their entire time with the BR Brigade: Zinodious and Gorgostroika. I stood tall between them, ignoring the anxious angry murmurs from the audience just as my vivosaur teammates did. I could sense the unease in their fighters, so I increased my light, allowing my confidence to flow from me to the vivosaurs, and from the vivosaurs to their fighters. The battle began.

"Jiango! Low Tackle!" Rocky called out impatiently.

"Lophus! Battering Ram!" Gauss ordered calmly.

I growled and shot forward, pressing my wings tight to my flanks so I could slip between them the two charging vivosaurs. They kept going, targeting my teammates, but I then smirked and extended my wings, throwing both herbivores to the side and off balance. My teammates took advantage of this opening.

"Zinodious! Face Ripper!"

"Gorgostroika! Deadly Fangs!"

The two dark vivosaurs charged forward, claws raised and teeth bared.

"Seidon! Power Average!" Lancelot ordered calmly. Seidon lumbered forward, reaching out to drain the strength of my team.

" _I don't think so!_ " I roared, continuing my own dash toward the massive sauropod. I leapt up in front of him, spreading my wings as I hovered right in front of the Water-type's face. With me taking up his entire field of vision, he focused his power draining on me, and zapped nearly all of my strength to make up for not being able to reach my teammates. I growled when I became too weak to keep myself airborne, but smirked at the sauropod.

" _Sorry, big boy, but you're a bit troublesome. I need you out of the way._ " I snarled sadistically to my opponent as I grinned. I then leaned back and kicked the massive vivosaur directly in the face. Seidon staggered backward, the blow, although weakened, landing on a sensitive area and disorienting him. I pushed myself off of the sauropod's neck, sending him back several more steps, and landed back on my side of the field as I tried to regain my lost strength and assess how my teammates were doing.

Zinodious had tried to strike Jiango's small head, which was one of the spined vivosaur's weak points, but the herbivore had crouched down and caught the attack with the long spikes on his back. Meanwhile, Lophus, despite her various disadvantages, had managed to evade the large carnivore's jaws and slam into Gorgostroika's side, throwing the dark vivosaur off balance. Lophus dropped to all fours as she activated her Wrestler's Spirit and focused on her opponent.

"Zinodious! Claw Down!" Kowloon ordered viciously. Zinodious raised his other claw and struck the small herbivore, sending him closer to the ground.

"Gorgostroika! Tail Bash!" Olga called, sounding slightly nervous. Gorgostroika narrowed her bright blue eyes and spun around, her speed surprising for a carnivore her size, and struck the herbivore she was facing with her tail, spinning both of them around.

"Jiango! Stance not good!" Rocky yelled to his vivosaur, "Toxic Spike!"

"Lophus! Get out of that stance! Face Slapper!" Gauss cried, her own urgency seeping through.

Jiango rumbled dangerously, his spines becoming covered with toxic poison. Lophus glared at her opponent and spun around, swinging her forearm at Gorgostroika.

"Ha! You think poison that weak will bring us down?" Kowloon laughed, his tone patronizing, "Let's show him what real poison is! Toxic Rush!"

Zinodious growled, also grinning, as he raised his claws again, the long scythes becoming black with the poison of the dark energy. He swung down, his toxins battling with the toxins of the Water-type vivosaur.

Meanwhile, Gorgostroika staggered backward from the confusing slap from Lophus. She shook her head as she tried to focus on the Earth-type herbivore that was charging toward her again.

"Angry badgers! The confusing!" Olga cried, sounding distressed. Then she sighed, shaking her head. "Is hopeless, you know. Gorgostroika and I, we have been made with the confusing for many years. You cannot hope to be fazing us." Her voice then hardened again and she commanded, "Now! Corpse Breath!"

Gorgostroika growled, facing the direction of her opponent, and opened her jaws, releasing the scent of rotting flesh against the herbivore. Lophus froze, backing away from the scent as it activated the instinctive fear from when she was a dinosaur. Gorgostroika took advantage of the opening that fear provided and ran forward, biting down on Lophus and sending her back to her fighter.

"Is sweet bliss…" Olga sighed, and I could hear the gentle smile in her voice. Gorgostroika purred.

Suddenly, another pained cry was heard. We turned back to Zinodious' struggle with Jiango just in time to see a Dino Gear fly back to its fighter, the victorious vivosaur gloating proudly.

"Now we're cooking, Zinodious!" Kowloon laughed, his own voice containing his trademark smirk. Zinodious howled triumphantly.

"Don't get too comfortable." a forgotten voice entered my team's awareness, "This battle isn't over."

The dark vivosaurs and their fighter turned in time to see Seidon charging toward them with surprising speed, the Stadium shaking with the sauropod's weight. Having recovered from my attack, he was furious at the defeat of his teammates, and he intended to avenge them.

"Now, Seidon! Tail Axe!" Lancelot, his voice harsher than usual. Seidon bellowed in response and spun around to take out both dark vivosaurs in one powerful strike.

"Zinodious! Get out of the way!"

"Be looking out, Gorgostroika!"

However, neither of the dark vivosaurs could move. The violent shaking of the ground had knocked them off balance, leaving them unable to evade even the slow-moving sauropod. Seidon swung his tail at the two vulnerable vivosaurs, the broad weapon glowing with the Water-type's power. Zinodious and Gorgostroika braced themselves for the powerful strike, but they needn't have.

As Seidon's attack landed, the audience gasped. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lancelot gaping slightly. Out of the corner of my other eye, I saw Olga and Kowloon both staring at me with wide, pained eyes. Gorgostroika and Zinodious looked at me in shock.

"Tria!" Olga cried, tears in her eyes.

"Alpha!" Kowloon called to me, feeling failure at my agony.

I stood in front of my teammates, holding the still-glowing tail of my opponent in my claws. My body screamed in protest from the force of the attack I was restraining, but I would protect my packmates. I would not back down.

" _Olga! Kowloon! Gorgostroika! Zinodious! Hurry!_ " I roared to them, my tone just on the edge of begging, " _Finish this!_ "

"Right!" Kowloon yelled, his voice becoming lethal as his rage took hold.

"Never again should you make with the defying!" Olga called to our last remaining opponent, getting my message even though she couldn't directly translate my words.

" _Leave it to us, Alpha!_ " Zinodious roared, making me smile through the pain. He had never readily called me his alpha before.

" _We will not fail you, Commander!_ " Gorgostroika promised me as she and Zinodious charged forward.

Seidon tried to evade the oncoming attack, but soon found himself held in place by the very claws that had blocked his Tail Axe.

"Toxic Rush!"

"Deadly Fangs!"

Zinodious roared viciously, digging his poisoned claws into Seidon's shoulder. Gorgostroika added her voice and power to the assault on the sauropod as she clamped down on his other shoulder. They both threw the Water-type back and away from me, standing in front of me protectively.

"This isn't over!" Lancelot called to us as Seidon staggered backward, the vivosaur's massive size allowing him to withstand even Zinodious' poison and the jaw strength of Gorgostroika. Seidon bellowed at us challengingly.

" _Yes, it is!_ " I snarled, my voice pained, before darting forward, the light from my Blinding Strike not even reaching its full glow before I landed a single blow to the sauropod's chest. As Seidon fell, his own Dino Gear following his teammates, I settled myself in between my teammates. They roared victoriously as the crowd went wild.

"Aw. We beat pretty bad…" Rocky mumbled when we met them in the Stadium lobby again.

"This data makes no sense!" Gauss cried in confusion, "And yet…it happened."

"Hmm." Lancelot hummed in contemplation, "Perhaps I finally understand."

"Understand what?" Kowloon growled, stepping forward defensively. I faced the leader of the Green Wave, carefully neutral, as he looked at me and smiled.

"Your strength comes from the heart. From your belief in yourself and your friends." he said, nodding in approval, "This pleases me. Such strength will most likely be wielded for a good purpose. So long as you continue on the honorable path, we would be delighted to fight by your side!"

My eyes widened. "Really?"

"Me smash for you!" Rocky declared, grinning happily.

"I calculate this is the beginning of a lovely friendship!" Gauss stated, smiling as she adjusted her glasses.

"That's awesome!" I said, smiling as my tail swayed happily. Olga smiled as well, her gentle smile, and Kowloon scoffed, not seeming pleased but not arguing, either. As the Green Wave left the Stadium, my face fell slightly.

"Wielded for a good purpose?" I repeated, catching the attention of my companions, "Well, at least someone thinks so."

"You all right, Tria?" Olga asked, looking at me in concern.

"I'm fine, Olga." I replied, smiling up at the kind-hearted woman. Kowloon looked down at me as well.

"Are you sure, Alpha?" he asked, the worry on his face out of place next to his natural cocky smirk, "You took a hard hit. You aren't built to take powerful attacks head-on."

I sighed, flexing my sore arms. Actually, my entire body hurt. Still…

"That is true." I replied, pulling both humans closer with my wings, "But, although my body is heavy, my heart is light. I am very happy. I will recover without a problem."

Kowloon looked away in embarrassment, still not used to such gentle affection, while Olga's smile widened as she wrapped an arm around both me and Kowloon. We then walked back to Fossil Park Asia, watching the sunset when we got there. Olga headed back to her room, bidding both of us an early goodnight, and Kowloon did the same, returning to Autumn Garden with a look of relaxed contentment. I stood on the mechanical dinosaur in the plaza for a while longer before heading back into the Fossil Center. I was about to take the elevator up to the Captain's office to report that I had returned, but as soon as the doors opened, my sensitive ears picked up the words that extinguished the light from the Green Wave and the former BR lieutenants and left me chilled to the core.

"…this wound from Tria. She still beats herself up over it sometimes, despite it being over ten years old by now." Elric's voice traveled down the elevator shaft to me. I gulped, tears welling up in my eyes as other voices followed.

"Did…" the voice of Mei Lian barely reached me, the unusually-soft quality adding to the pain the fear in her tone inflicted in me.

"D-Did Tria…attack you?" Drake stuttered, and I cringed in response, feeling sick.

Elric replied with a negation, followed by a story that I was far too familiar with. Unable to bear it anymore, I rushed to the corner of the Center lobby. I remembered that scar, the one on Elric's left shoulder, and, as painful as it was, I would never forget how he got it.

My 7th birthday party…an occasion most kids look forward to. I'd never looked forward to my birthday parties. Due to the fame of my parents and the controversial nature of their relationship (and, by extension, my existence), there was always a group, usually of humans, but not always, that gathered nearby to express their anger at my birth and the view that my continued existence should not be celebrated. This particular day, however, made me actively dread my birthday. I'd hated that I'd been born, I'd hated that I continued to live, and I'd hated that those around me wouldn't let me die. The weight of this world has been on my shoulders since I was born; that's a heavy burden for a child. Still, I never should've lashed out against those outspoken humans that day. I should've had more control than that. If I had just ignored them like I was supposed to, then Elric wouldn't have…

Once again, just like this morning after Violet had stormed off, my thoughts were interrupted by an irritating beeping noise from my left wrist. Normally, I would've waited for one of the Wardens to turn it off, but I couldn't bear to face them, not right after they'd learned how dangerous I was. I stared at it, then looked around frantically and, in a desperate attempt to shut it off, slashed it with my claws, causing it to crash to the floor. That alone didn't stop the beeping, but the splash of blood from the gash on my wrist from my careless attack did, and I sighed with relief.

I then jolted when I heard the elevator doors open. Hastily, I grabbed the bloody device and hid myself in the shadows, crouching low. My light had been properly dulled, so I had no trouble blending into the dark area. At first, I thought it was a Warden responding to the signal from the device, but all of the Wardens filed out almost sluggishly, their faces pale and disturbed. I held my breath as the American and European Wardens walked through the World Gate, praying they wouldn't see me. They didn't, and neither did the Asian Wardens or the Captain and Professor as they made their way to the kitchen. Nibbles didn't notice me either, too focused on getting his steak. When the last Warden left the elevator, I ducked down further, my eyes blurring with tears. And, unfortunately, he did notice me.

As I met Elric's golden eyes, I took in the deep guilt and sorrow within them. I also saw them begin to cloud as he looked me over, taking in my own pitiful appearance, and my own eyes shifted automatically to his left shoulder where I knew his scar lay, the scar left by my claws. I swallowed again, tears threatening to break through my careful control, before fleeing into the World Gate, not even caring where it took me as my despair filled my mind, the memory of my closest friend's tearful eyes and bloodied shirt still fresh in my mind from that terrible incident over ten years ago.


	39. The Tables Turn

I entered Fossil Park America, barely sparing so much as a wave to Leon and Lucky when they greeted me. I swiftly made my way to the Garage, following the signal that was coming from Starry Falls. I sped around the darkened curves with practiced ease until I found who I was looking for. She lay at the back of the site, at the top of a waterfall that loomed over the deepest part of Starry Falls, her eyes closed as tears mixed with the rapidly-flowing water. She'd curled up on the left bank, not seeming to care that she was getting sprayed by the foamy waters, occasionally flicking rocks into the river with her tail with an expression of detached disinterest. I left my Speed Demon at the base of the cliff, sheltering it from the spray, and climbed up to where my friend lay.

"Tria." I called out to her, noting with another wave of guilt how she flinched, the shiver traveling down her long body, "Are you okay?"

The golden eyes glanced at me, the 'are-you-kidding-me' look in them amusing in any other situation. As things stood, it, like all of her expressions, was just painful.

" _Have you gone blind or something, Elric?_ " she growled, not even needing to open her jaws for her vivosaurian voice to reach my ears.

"Of course not, Tria." I sighed, "But I haven't forgotten my manners, either."

Tria snorted, turning her gaze back to the space in front of her. I sat down next to her head, feeling her sigh against my leg. I stroked her mane soothingly, leaning against her in a communication of friendship and comfort. We sat there for a while before I spoke again.

"You heard, didn't you?" I asked, looking at the distressed half-dinaurian pityingly. Tria nodded, a slight up-and-down motion of her head.

" _Not all of it._ " she replied, not returning my gaze, " _Just when you told the Wardens about the scar I gave you. I didn't get through the whole story._ "

I sighed, wrapping my arms around her head and pulling it into my lap. She complied without argument, curling around me and letting me lean against her neck.

" _Why?_ " I felt her growl. If her head hadn't been so close to me, I wouldn't have caught the question.

"Why what?" I asked, not stopping my gentle stroking of her head and muzzle.

" _Why do you stay with me?_ " she asked, finally looking up at me with eyes filled with agony, " _Why, when I hurt you so badly?_ "

"Tria." I chastised her gently, hugging her to my chest, "We've talked about this. You weren't trying to hurt me. Those stupid people pushed you too far; it wasn't your fault. And it was my choice to block your attack with my body."

" _Which you wouldn't have had to do if I had been able to control myself._ " she argued back, so much guilt and self-hatred in her voice that I had to struggle to keep from choking on my own sobs, " _I knew better than to attack them. I knew, but I did it anyway. I'm a dangerous creature, Elric! No one should remain near me! My purpose has been fulfilled; I don't need to live anymore. I never should've been reviv-_ "

"Tria." I snapped at her, forcing her to stop her ramble of self-derogation, "Don't you dare finish that thought." I forced her to stare into my eyes as I glared at her. "You promised. You promised that you would never regret coming back to us. You swore this to me, and I will not let you go back on your word." I got to my knees, holding her head in front of me with more force than I've used in a long time. "You are the Commander of the Vivosaurs. You are the Wardens' strongest ally. And, most importantly, you are the friend and guardian of both. This world does need you, and everyone knows it. You belong here, Tria, and you should never, NEVER, think otherwise."

" _Does it really, though?_ " Tria asked, her voice far too calm for my mood, " _What good have I done for this world since my revival?_ "

"You've given Olga a purpose when she didn't know what to do with her life. You gave Kowloon a home. You gave hope and guidance to Daisy, Frett, and Prescott, helped the pregnant T-rex Sue, saved Roland from his reckless attempt to lose weight, helped me clear the wreckage in the past, helped Mei Lian get over her defeat at Kowloon's claws, helped Liu Ren calm the Earth Dragon, helped Nate win a tournament for his sister, helped Penny stay with the Wardens while simultaneously proving that Kowloon is a reliable ally, helped Lucky get over his fear of the dentist while giving Dr. Digmore a new topic of interest, eased Violet's anger at being eaten millions of years ago while increasing her feeling of connection to you and everything around her, and that's not all you've done." I lifted her head, my grip not relaxing at all. "You've lightened the hearts of the Wardens and given them a sense of security and warmth they'd been missing. They're happier because of you."

" _When I was first revived, maybe, but that is no longer the case._ " Tria growled back, her tone defeated, " _I've put both Olga and Kowloon in a spotlight that draws the public to them, which leads to them being abused by civilians and Wardens alike. I showed Daisy, Frett, and Prescott that I am deceitful, which can sow the seeds of distrust in me and the Wardens. It was a study on me that led to Roland almost dying from weight loss, I have betrayed and even turned against Mei Lian since helping her, done the same with Liu Ren, brought up painful memories for all of my fellow graduates, and I've done far worse._ " She stared back at me, her eyes, unlike mine, holding no anger, only guilt, sorrow, and fear. " _I have attacked several people, turned my claws against the Wardens and my pack, and even tried to kill Captain Stryker! And, to top it all off, I have brought with me a dangerous enemy, the enemy I was supposed to destroy, meaning that I have failed in my life's mission and put the world in further danger because I didn't want to die!_ " The tears began to fall from her beautiful eyes, and her head fell to the ground, having become too heavy for me to hold. " _Do you see, Elric? I am no angel. I am just a selfish half-human who ultimately cares only about herself. Even more, I am a dangerous creature that can wipe out all of the Fossil Parks if I chose to do so. That's why I shouldn't still live._ "

I stared at my dearest, most precious friend, taking in her closed eyes, tears still flowing from under her eyelids, her white scales having lost their shine, the massive wings lying on the ground with no sign of strength left in them, her powerful forelegs and hind legs folded close to her, the long talons kneading the ground under her, long whip-like tail only twitching at the tip, no longer strong enough to thrash like it normally would. It wasn't until I saw her body blur that I realized I, too, was crying. I crawled over to her and lay down on the grass next to her, wrapping my arms around the base of her skull as I nuzzled her behind her jaw.

"You're wrong, Tria." I whispered into her ear, not trusting my voice to go any louder, "You couldn't be more wrong if you tried." She snorted, her dismissive disbelief obvious, but she made no attempt to interrupt, so I continued, "The Wardens don't hate you. Your pack doesn't hate you. Your friends don't hate you. They want you here, they want you alive, they want you happy, and they are ready and willing to support you. If you died again, if you left us, I'm not sure we'd ever fully recover. You are very dear to us all, to everyone. You can't forget that." I stared into her eyes, the pain in them shutting down my anger without a word from her. "It's not like they hold you responsible for the attacks you so deeply blame yourself for. They understand your loss of control, they see how you resist its pull, and they recognize your willingness to cooperate with them. You do everything for a reason, and once they become aware of those reasons, they support you."

" _Not always._ " Tria growled in response, " _I did try to kill Stryker for not supporting me._ "

"You were protecting your packmate. That's what alphas do. And the Captain does admit to being unduly harsh and provoking you." I argued back, "He hadn't understood the significance until I asked him how he'd react to someone from your pack following one of his Wardens without you telling him about it. Once he saw that comparison, he understood why you'd reacted the way you had, and he regrets it. He now wishes to apologize to you, once he actually sees you again."

Tria turned away from me, or tried to, but my arms held fast, and she just dragged me with her.

"Mei Lian doesn't fault you, either." I continued, scratching the base of her skull, "She didn't know why you were taking the side of her enemy, but now she does. Now that she knows of your past, she understands. All of the Wardens understand."

" _All of the Wardens also fear me._ " Tria snarled, baring her teeth, " _If they weren't scared of me before, they definitely are now, now that they've seen concrete proof of what I can do._ "

I shook my head. "They know that you can't take on everything yourself. They know you have limits, and that, when you reach those limits, you'll need their help. That was the purpose of telling that story."

" _That may have been the purpose, but I doubt it was the effect._ " Tria argued. I sighed into her mane, stroking my fingers through the soft fur as I closed my eyes and inhaled her scent.

"Tria…" My voice was barely a breath, "You're not even giving them a chance. You're not giving any of us a chance." I looked at her. "You're not giving yourself a chance."

I looked into her eyes. They were full of so much fear, and it felt like a spike through my chest.

"We love you." I told her, "The Wardens, your pack, the world, we all love you. And you love us back, don't you?"

" _Of course I do._ " Tria replied, turning onto her side so she could wrap her wings around me, " _It's you who shouldn't._ "

"But we do." I told her gently, hugging her tightly as I smiled at her, "We love you. We are here for you. But you have to let us help you. Please." I stared into her eyes again. "Just try. Give us a chance, give yourself a chance, and try."

Tria watched me carefully, her wariness refusing to fade. She then closed her eyes and sighed, long and heavy, and nuzzled my hair in silent thanks. I smiled and stroked her neck before looking sadly at her scales, now more gray than white. That's when I looked up at her in confusion.

"Tria…" I spoke up, my tone cautious, "Where's your detector? It should've gone off by now."

Tria didn't verbally respond. She shifted further onto her side and moved her left claw in front of me, placing the detector she normally wore on her wrist there. The moment I saw it, I took note of how it'd been slashed off by her claws. I also noted that it was covered with blood, and that her left wrist had a shallow gash on it right around the area where the device normally was. And I definitely didn't miss how her forelimb was trembling badly, or how she'd grunted in pain when she'd moved the injured limb.

"What happened, Tria?" I gasped as I grabbed the shaking claw in my hands.

" _It'd started going off after I'd overheard you talking to the Wardens._ " she growled back to me, " _I couldn't face the Wardens so soon, so I got desperate and slashed it off. You might want to inform Little of a flaw in that device. It shuts off if it gets covered in blood._ "

"That's not what I meant." I stopped her, lifting her trembling claw, "Where did this weakness come from?"

" _Oh, that._ " she rumbled, sounding pained at the memory of what had happened to her, " _Olga, Kowloon, and I were battling a famous team of fighters in this world called the 'Green Wave' that uses only herbivorous vivosaurs. We'd taken down two of our opponents, but the leader's Seidon was powerful, and he tried to take out Zinodious and Gorgostroika with his Tail Axe. I shielded them._ "

I cringed, feeling sick. "Did he bring you down?"

" _No._ " Tria growled, some pride returning to her voice, " _I_ _brought_ _him_ _down, with Zinodious and Gorgostroika's help. I will not fall so easily._ "

"I know you won't." I replied, "But you shouldn't be taking hits like that. You may be able to keep fighting through most injuries, but damage is still damage. You need to be careful with yourself, especially now."

" _I know that, Elric._ " she growled, snorting in annoyance.

We lay together for a while, resting from the day's events while taking comfort in each other's familiar presence. I felt Tria start to relax, and I smiled. My face then fell as she tensed again in response to a sudden noise that soon filled the peaceful dig site with an unwelcome urgency. I picked up my phone, sighing before calming myself and answering with my normal calm, smooth tone.

"Hello?" I spoke into the receiver as I sat up, fully aware of Tria moving her head onto my lap again so she could better hear the conversation.

"Elric?" Captain Stryker's voice was heard on the other end, "Where are you? Dinner's ready."

I thought briefly about how I should respond, noting the faint quaking in my lap and against my back. I stroked a hand over Tria's muzzle as I answered.

"Just fulfilling my purpose in life, Captain." I replied, feeling Tria gasp against my knee. I hugged her to me with the arm that wasn't holding the phone.

"Fulfilling your purpose?" the Captain muttered in confusion. I heard several other voices, meaning he was eating with his subordinates for once, though I couldn't tell who the voices belonged to. Tria probably could, but I wasn't going to force her to face the Wardens just yet. She'd been through enough for one day.

I heard a sigh on the other end of the line, indicating the Captain had given up trying to understand my words. That happened quite often.

"By the way, Elric, do you know where Tria is?" Captain Stryker asked me, and the tension running through the dinaurian's battle form had her ready to bolt at a moment's notice. I loosened my grip on her head, not to release her, but to show her that she wasn't trapped, which would've made her panic more, "We can't get in contact with her. She isn't answering her phone."

I looked down at Tria, my question in my eyes, and she sighed in response, her whip-like tail placing her phone in front of me. It'd been crushed beyond repair.

"Tria…" I said, looking at her as I tried to sort out what I would tell them, "…is safe. She's had a long day, and is resting."

"So you know where she is?" the Captain said, not so much asking as confirming, "Well, can you tell her to return to Warden HQ for dinner?"

"Negative on that one, Captain." I replied as I felt the heartbeat against my back quicken in sudden panic, "Tria outranks me. I can't tell her to do anything."

"You know what I mean, Elric." the Captain sighed again, sounding exhausted, "Can you please get Tria to return here for dinner?"

"I doubt it, Captain." I answered, stroking my free hand over Tria's muzzle, "Tria's tired. I don't think she'd do well with a group dinner."

"That's not the point, Elric." the Captain growled, and I could tell he was losing patience, "The point of Tria reporting for dinner is so we can make sure she's eating enough. Surely you haven't forgotten that."

"Of course not, Captain." I replied calmly, looking down at the half-dinaurian's head still in my lap. She growled, sounding apprehensive, but before I could speak up for her, another voice was heard addressing the Captain.

"I found her!" the hyper voice of Professor Little called, audible to my ears and clear to Tria's, "I've found Tria. She's in Starry Falls."

"Thank you, Professor." the Captain responded to the young Professor before addressing the Wardens before him, "Penny. Mei Lian. Can you-?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Captain." I interrupted my superior, "I told you already. Tria won't return tonight, and any attempts to force her will be met with resistance." I looked at Tria as she stood up, still in her battle form. "I'm staying with her, so I can monitor her condition. I can handle Tria myself, so leave her to me for tonight."

"Elric…" Captain Stryker muttered, ignoring the questions and, possibly, protests coming from his subordinates, "I understand that you want to protect Tria, but don't you think being around her friends will help her?"

"Not while today's events are still fresh in her mind and yours." I replied, "She remembers your reactions to her packmate, and is now wary of you. Let her get her thoughts and feelings in order, and let yourself do the same."

"And what about her eating?" the Captain asked, annoyed and untrusting, "Can you get her to eat?"

I looked up at the half-dinaurian, knowing she heard the question. She snorted, insulted by the way the head of the Wardens was talking about her, and took off, flying over the dig site. My eyes narrowed, the offense not lost on me, either.

"Stryker…" I said, my voice dangerously low, "I know the arrogance of humans runs deep, but if you and the rest of your organization are going to continue your alliance with the vivosaurs, I suggest you get over it, and get over it now."

I heard silence on the other end, could just imagine the proud, authoritative Captain gaping at the blatant disregard for authority from his subordinate, and allowed myself a small, sadistic smile. It would seem that a part of Tria's personality had rubbed off on me as well.

"Tria may not be a human, at least not a full one, but she is an intelligent being. She is not some pet that needs to be taken care of; she can take care of herself. I said she needs our support, and she does, but assuming we have to watch over her at all times like a small child is nothing short of offensive. Contrary to Penny's assumption, Tria can take care of herself, HAS taken care of herself, and still does. She does not need any of you, or me, to take care of her. She is a survivor, always has been, and does not need us to get her to eat. She doesn't HAVE to eat every day, and while it would be ideal for her to, she can forgo a meal or two when necessary. She's pushed her limits before, and she's learned from those incidents. She doesn't need the Wardens hovering over her shoulder 24/7. She is smart, she is strong, and she deserves respect. If you want to help her through this troubling time, I suggest you remember that, or you will only end up hurting her more. And I will not let you hurt Tria."

There was a shocked silence on the other end. Even the background noises had gone silent. I smirked, feeling satisfied. Before I hung up, I noticed a massive figure flying toward me, something wriggling in her claws. My smirked widened.

"And look at that. Tria brought food. I'll leave you to your dinner while I enjoy mine. See you in the morning." I said, the feigned pleasantness holding the venom of the conversation.

"Elric! Wai-" the Captain's voice was cut off when I hung up and put my phone away just as Tria landed and dropped the large fish in front of me.

"Wow. You caught a good one, didn't you?" I exclaimed to the half-dinaurian, "Glad to see your fishing skills haven't waned."

Tria snorted, lying down behind me and letting me lean against her again. " _There's enough fish here to support the Angatos and Coatlus that live in this area, so finding one wasn't hard. Want me to roast it?_ "

"If you'd be so kind." I replied, smiling at the familiar situation. It had been quite some time since we'd slept outside and eaten of the local flora and fauna.

Tria opened her jaws and blasted the fish with her Angel's Fire. As I watched the white flames cook the delicate flesh, I felt her muzzle nudge my cheek. I reached up to stroke her jaw, listening to her soft growling voice.

" _You didn't have to do that for me._ " she rumbled to me, " _Stryker doesn't tolerate insubordination very well. You'll catch some flak for it later._ "

"Maybe." I replied, leaning against her muzzle, "But I really don't care. I will protect you, just like you've always done for me, and I won't let the Wardens treat you like some little child that needs to be controlled at all times."

" _Thank you, Elric._ " Tria purred, licking my neck and cheek and making me giggle in a rare display of our childhood. I hugged her again, grateful for her presence here, and as we ate together, I swore to myself that I would do everything in my power to keep her here, happy and healthy, for as long as I lived, just as she'd always done for me.


	40. Bad Blood

"I don't like this, Leon."

"Neither do I, Lucky. This is getting out of hand."

The purple Turf Shredder drove through the dark dig site of Starry Falls, the two males in the vehicle showing the same worry through their differing expressions. Leon, one of the most reliable American Wardens, had a scowl on his face, his annoyance hiding his concern for his close friend, who was, according to Professor Little, still in the site. Lucky, the young psychic boy who aspired to be a Warden, wasn't attempting to hide his concern at all, his wide eyes shining as he scanned the path Leon was driving on.

Leon had gotten a call at breakfast that morning from Captain Stryker ordering him to search for Tria, who had apparently spent the night in Starry Falls, and Elric, who had stayed with her. Lucky met Leon as he was leaving, and, after hearing why Leon was heading out, insisted on going with him. He wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Do you think Tria's hurt again, Leon?" Lucky asked his idol fearfully.

"I doubt it, Lucky." Leon replied, "Tria's far stronger than any of the vivosaurs here. They couldn't touch her." He shook his head and sighed. "No, what's worrying me is why Tria's out here in the first place. From what the Captain said, Tria stayed here because she wasn't comfortable returning to the Wardens last night."

"Did something happen?" Lucky asked nervously. Leon cringed slightly.

"…Sorta. I'm not allowed to give you details, but Tria made a decision most Wardens don't agree with, and it's caused some conflict between her and us."

"Was it really that bad?" Lucky continued to question the older male.

"At first, yes." Leon replied, "Until we learned the reasons for her decision. Of course, Tria might not know that we understand and don't hold it against her anymore, and if she does, she might also know that we learned about a troubling event in her past. That would make anyone uncomfortable."

"A troubling event?" Lucky asked, curiosity piqued, "What happened?"

Leon glanced at Lucky, conflicted, before returning his eyes to the road. "Let's just say…Tria used to be a lot more dangerous than she is now, and she can become that dangerous again if we let her lose control."

Leon left it at that and kept driving, Lucky finally falling silent. In the deepest part of the dig site, at a riverbank, Leon stopped.

"What's wrong, Leon?" Lucky asked, confused.

"I'm not allowed to go any further." Leon replied, "There's something here no one is permitted to approach."

Lucky looked like he was about to comment, but the words died on his lips as he cried, "What is that?!"

The two humans watched as the site's resident Penta charged out of the thin canyon on the other side of the river, seeming to be fleeing from something. It then turned around and brandished its horns against the something that was chasing it.

"I didn't know there was a T-rex Sue here!" Lucky cried, frightened by the large carnivore.

"That's what we're not allowed to approach." Leon stated as he watched the showdown between the Fire-type carnivore and the Neutral-type herbivore, "That's the T-rex Sue from Goldrush Canyon. The T-rex Stan from Winding Road is probably around here somewhere, too."

"Why?" Lucky asked, tilting his head.

"Because someone had left the T-rex Stan in Goldrush Canyon, and the T-rex Sue became pregnant as a result. The Wardens transferred the two here, since it's a better environment for the eggs."

"Oooooooooooooh." Lucky's voce became drawn-out as he absorbed this new, unexpected information, "Does that mean there are gonna be baby vivosaurs?"

Leon shook his head again. "No. Apparently, when two vivosaurs produce eggs, they hatch dinosaurs."

"WHAT?!" Lucky screamed, making Leon cover his ears, "WHY?!"

"I don't know why it happens that way." Leon snapped at his younger companion, "Tria says that's what happens, and she's apparently seen it before."

Both males turned back to the battle between Penta and T-rex Sue. The carnivore clamped down on Penta's horn, but Penta shook her off and charged into her, knocking her back.

"Don't you think we should help her?" Lucky asked as the Penta attempted to skewer the vulnerable carnivore.

"That's not our place." Leon replied, watching the fight with a slightly-pained expression, "If we interfere, we'll become the next target."

Lucky was about to respond, but he was cut off again, this time by a sudden blur speeding toward Penta and T-rex Sue. His and Leon's eyes both widened as Tria slammed into the charging herbivore, clawing at it viciously.

"Hey! Is that Tria?!" Lucky cried.

"Why is she attacking Penta?!" Leon exclaimed.

"Same reason T-rex Sue was." another voice spoke through the Warden's radio, "Good morning Leon, Lucky."

"Elric! We were looking for you!" Lucky called to the calmer male.

"I see." Elric muttered, sounding somewhat-bitter, "So the Captain did send you. I figured as much."

"What do you mean, Elric?" Leon asked before Lucky could make another comment, "Why are Tria and T-rex Sue attacking Penta?"

"They're hunting." Elric replied easily as he drove his white-and-lavender Speed Demon next to them, "The T-rex Sue needs to replenish her energy after laying her eggs, and Tria's hungry enough to join her."

"How does attacking a vivosaur provide food?" Leon asked, confused, "Won't Penta just revert back into a Dino Gear when defeated?"

"They're not defeating it, Leon." Elric said, watching with desensitized disinterest, "They're killing it. If a vivosaur is killed before it can revert back into a Dino Gear, it can be utilized for food. Getting it down before it can revert back is the only problem, but Tria can do it."

"Tria's gonna kill Penta?!" Leon and Lucky both exclaimed, their faces paling. They looked back to the fight just in time to see Tria reach a claw underneath the struggling herbivore's neck and slit its throat, slashing the windpipe and bringing it down. The males in the Turf Shredder watched in horror as the herbivore bled out in front of them, the usual light signaling the return to the Dino Gear absent. Tria jumped back, her claws covered with blood, and approached T-rex Sue, who was just struggling to her feet.

"Tria's a huntress." Elric said, looking at the pale faces on his screen, "She's a predator. She kills to survive. All carnivores do. I don't know why this information is shocking to you."

Lucky and Leon's faces were starting to get greenish tints to them, with Lucky covering his mouth. Elric rolled his eyes and drove over a nearby bridge, stopping a safe distance away from the fresh kill and the carnivores feeding on it. The half-dinaurian stepped away, the Penta's blood covering her muzzle, and leaned down to Elric's level.

"You planning on sticking around, Tria?" he asked, smiling up at her. Tria shook her head.

" _No. Sue and Stan need it more than I do. Sue insisted I at least take a bite, so I did, but I won't take any more. Once I wash this blood off, we can follow those two back._ "

"You got it." Elric replied before returning to the other Warden and future Warden, "If you're willing to wait for just a minute, we'll return with you. We have to stop by Professor Little's lab anyway."

"Right…" Leon muttered as he watched Tria drink from the river, rinsing the blood off her muzzle as she did so, and stood in the river to clean her fore-and-hind claws. Lucky's eyes were closed, trying to keep his own breakfast down. Elric looked decidedly unimpressed. Once the half-human was satisfied that she had sufficiently cleaned the vivosaur's blood from her claws and jaws, she reverted back to her true form and perched on Elric's Speed Demon.

"Are we gonna head back to the Fossil Park now?" Tria asked, addressing all three humans, "Or are we gonna sit here and stare at me?"

"We're heading back." Elric said, driving past Leon and Lucky, "You two can follow if you want."

Leon and Lucky snapped out of the horrified daze they'd fallen into and followed after the Speed Demon, struggling to keep up with the faster Bone Buggy.

"Wait up, Elric!" Leon called to the other Warden. Elric obliged grudgingly, slowing down enough to let the Turf Shredder drive beside him. Lucky then stuck his head out of the window.

"Hey, Tria! Are you okay?" he asked her, his eyes shining again. The kid really did cry too easily.

"I'm fine, Lucky." Tria replied, her voice too cold for comfort.

"Are you sure, Tria?" Leon asked, his voice registering in her earpiece, "You sound upset."

"I am upset." Tria replied, "How could I not be, after all that's happened?"

Leon flinched, gripping his steering wheel hard. Lucky glanced between his two idols in nervous confusion. Elric just sighed.

"You don't need to be upset, Tria." Leon told her gently, "We don't hold anything against you."

"You're right." Tria snarled, her tone unusually vicious, "It is I who is holding something against you."

Leon gasped, almost veering off the road in his shock at the verbal blow. Lucky now looked frightened as well as confused. Elric gripped his own steering wheel so hard it hurt.

"What do you mean?!" Leon asked, startled and indignant, "What have I done to you?!"

"Nothing, personally." Tria replied simply, not looking at the insulted Warden, "It's not so much you as the organization you work for that I'm starting to have problems with."

Leon now looked as confused at Lucky. "The Wardens? What have we done to make you angry?"

"You really want to know?" Tria asked, glancing sideways at him as the group reached the portal. She leapt down and walked through the portal, stating as she did so, "Ask your Captain."

And with that simple order, she left the Garage, Elric following her closely as she resolutely ignored the Warden and future Warden who were staring nervously at her back.


	41. A Warrior's Challenge

After dropping off the broken, bloody device with the nervous Professor Little, I headed to Fossil Park Europe. Elric wanted to come with me, and had been ready to defy the Captain again to do so, but I talked him out of it. As I watched him follow Stryker into the office, I made a mental note to discuss this troubling turn with him. I was then met in the lobby by Penny, Nate, Roland, Mei Lian, and Nibbles. I expected them to scold me for not returning for dinner, but I was pleasantly surprised. They asked me how I was feeling, with Penny asking me how I'd slept, Roland asking how I'd slept in a dig site, Nate asking what food I'd brought, and, when I'd answered that, Mei Lian asking how I'd caught the fish. Nibbles was watching me, his green eyes shimmering with the pity and concern he felt for me. The Wardens had other assignments, but Nibbles did not, and he insisted on following me. I allowed him to, convincing myself that it would be wise to have him nearby, at least while I didn't have the device to alert me to an impending loss of control. So, with my little vivosaur companion at my side, I entered the Center of Fossil Park Europe, and headed for the office of the leader I hadn't had a chance to interact with very much.

"Hi, Drake." I greeted the viking as I entered his office, keeping my voice calm so that I didn't startle him. He jumped anyway and looked down nervously.

"O-Oh…" he whispered, shrinking away from me, "H-Hey…Tria…"

"What's wrong?" I asked, tilting my head as I stopped approaching, "You seem jumpier than usual."

Drake jumped even more at that question and looked around the room almost-frantically. When he looked down again, he was trembling. I sighed in disappointment.

"So you're afraid of me, too, huh? Can't say I'm surprised." I said sadly, smiling gently at the timid viking, "It's okay, Drake. I'll leave you to your work now."

I then turned around and started to walk out of the office, ignoring the pity in Nibbles' eyes. I then was stopped cold by a loud, almost desperate voice.

"WAIT!"

I turned around to stare at the viking, who had stood up and was now looking at me with wide eyes. He then forced himself to sit back down, almost as if he regretted regaining my attention. I approached him again, this time stopping at his desk, and tilted my head in question.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" I asked, watching him patiently. Drake sighed, his voice trembling as badly as his body was.

"I've been…feeling a bit restless lately…" he muttered, looking around again, his dark blue eyes showing his fear, "I wanted…to fight you…in a one-on-one Fossil Battle. But…" He looked at me again, his eyes widening when he saw my wrist. "H-Hey! Where's your…um…"

"My detector?" I asked, looking at my bare wrist, "I broke it. Professor Little's fixing it now." I then arched an eye ridge and tilted my head to glance down at him. "Do I detect a challenge?"

Drake jumped again and attempted to hide under his desk. "W-Well…normally…but now…"

"You're on." I stated, much to the shock of both the viking and the vivosaur, "I've been wanting to take you on for a while now. I want to witness your warrior blood first-hand, and I won't let fear stop me!"

Drake stared at me with surprised eyes. His smile then widened into a grin as he stood up again.

"YES! OUR NAMES SHALL LIVE ON IT LEGEND AND SONG! MY TEAM THIRSTS FOR BLOOD! NOW LET US FIGHT!"

"WE FIGHT!" I roared back, my tail thrashing in excitement. As Drake spontaneously calmed down and led me toward the Garage, Nibbles growled quietly to me.

" _Are you sure this is wise, Tria?_ " he asked, eyeing me worriedly, " _You don't have that device with you. How will you know if you start to lose control?_ "

" _You're forgetting, Nibbles._ " I snarled back, glaring at him, " _That battle doesn't lead to my loss of control. I have lost control or come close to it multiple times since my revival, and not once had the trigger occurred in battle. Its effects are not triggered by battle; they are triggered by weakness and rage. I am not weak, a single battle won't weaken me, and connecting with Drake and his berserker nature will make me happy, not angry._ " I looked away from the little vivosaur, my next words holding enough bite to not require the added sharpness of my gaze.

" _You're not a human, Nibbles. Don't act like one._ "

Nibbles froze, my word disturbing him, before hesitantly following me through the portal into the equally-frozen dig site. I flew around Drake's teal Rock Crusher with Nibbles in my arms, getting Drake increasingly riled-up as we headed to the cave at the back of Frozen Wastes, the cave where Drake and I had first fought together against the Raja Devil.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGH!" Drake roared as we faced off, "LONG HAVE I BEEN WAITING FOR THIS! LET US ENGAGE IN THE EPIC CLASH OF BONE AND SINEW!" He sent out his most powerful, bloodthirsty teammate: the Raja Devil. "I WILL REACH INTO YOUR CHEST AND PULL OUT YOUR STILL-BEATING HEART! AND THEN I WILL PUT THE HEART IN A TOASTER OVEN AT 350 DEGREES WITH FRESH HERBS FROM MY GARDEN!"

I saw Nibbles flinch out of the corner of my eye. In my battle mindset, I didn't care.

"Been there, done that!" I yelled back at him before taking my battle form, " _You'll have to do better than that if you want to beat me!_ "

I then lunged forward, my claws bared, and sidestepped easily when the massive carnivore tried to counter with his jaws. I slashed at his flank, sending him staggering sideways, and launched myself at him.

"NOW, RAJA DEVIL! CRANIUL UPPER!" Drake roared, grinning gleefully. The Raja Devil matched Drake's grin with one of his own and swung his head around, attempting to stab me with the short horn on his head. I didn't bother dodging, simply catching the horn with my foot and letting him throw me to the cave's ceiling. I caught myself on the stone there and launched myself at my opponent again.

" _You're strong, I'll give you that._ " I growled, giving my own grin, " _But all that strength is useless on its own! You have to actually land a hit!_ " I slashed my claws across the carnivore's exposed chest, sending him crashing to the ground. " _Kinda like that!_ "

"GET UP, RAJA DEVIL!" Drake bellowed, not seeming the least bit put-off by my attack, "HEAVY STOMP!"

Raja Devil growled and jumped back up. With his strength combined with his massive weight, his landing shook the entire cave. I leapt into the air and hovered, not letting his attack shake me. I then darted forward, jaws open as I prepared my Divine Mist.

"WE HAVE HER NOW!" Drake laughed, "ELECTROSHOCKER!"

The Raja Devil bellowed loudly and fired a blast of lightning from his jaws. I grinned, my mist leaking from between my teeth, and shifted slightly around the blast. The electricity around the initial blast made my body go numb and my heart beat erratically, but I didn't falter. With stamina built by experience, I dove right through the attack and aimed for the weakest part of my opponent.

" _Your power is impressive._ " I snarled, my voice cracking with the electricity still coursing through my body, " _But I am still stronger!_ " I then opened my own jaws and shot the compressed orb of my Divine Mist straight into the Raja Devil's gaping mouth, just as I had done with the Angel's Fire against the Earth Dragon. The massive carnivore staggered backward, the dizziness and confusion hitting hard, and left the soft skin of his underbelly exposed. I took advantage.

" _This ends now!_ " I roared viciously as I lunged at the Raja Devil. I dug my claws into the softer skin, watching with a sadistic satisfaction as the electricity in my body returned to the vivosaur that had released it. The carnivore spasmed from the force of the attack I had taken, screaming in pain before retreating back into his Dino Gear and returning to his fighter. Said fighter gawked at me in shock, as did the little vivosaur that had been watching from the sidelines.

"GRRAAAH!" Drake screamed in response to his loss, gripping his helmet in apparent distress. He then sighed as he spontaneously calmed down again. I walked up to his window, staggering slightly, and let the viking hesitantly pet my muzzle.

"Th-Thanks for the battle…Tria…" he said quietly, smiling shyly up at me, "I think my…ancient bloodlust has been…sated."

" _I'm happy to help._ " I purred gently, nuzzling the blond hair peeking out from under Drake's helmet, " _I'm feeling calmer, too._ " When I felt myself stagger again, I looked at the viking pleadingly. " _Do you think I can ride with you? Just to let myself rest?_ "

Drake jolted, suddenly looking guilty. "O-Of course. I'm…sorry."

I chuckled, returning to my true form and grabbing Nibbles before flying into the passenger side of Drake's teal Rock Crusher.

"Don't be. I needed to blow off some steam, too. I'm a little tired, but that just means you're a strong opponent, and that is definitely a good thing."

Drake nodded, his smile returning. "I've been…looking for an opponent that could go toe-to-toe with me…for ages. And I…finally managed…to find one." He looked over at me, his eyes pleading. "P-Please continue to be my friend…and my ally…and my rival, of course."

"I'd accept nothing less!" I said, smiling back at the tall male, "As long as you do the same for me."

Drake nodded. "O-Of course."

We rode in a comfortable silence, at ease with one another. I saw Nibbles watching me, his concern obvious, but he refused to meet my eyes, looking away whenever my gaze dropped to him. I sighed lightly. I then tensed and Drake jolted as I ringing sound filled the vehicle. I growled in annoyance and took out the new phone I'd been given that morning, answering in a deceptively-calm voice.

"Hello?"

"Tria?" I heard Professor Little's voice come through the phone, "The detector has been repaired. Please come retrieve it as soon as you can."

"Will do, Professor." I replied, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Tria." he said gratefully, likely thanking me for not resisting the measure.

"No problem." I responded, my voice a little too tight. As we left the Garage, I looked to see both Drake and Nibbles watching me, Drake concerned and Nibbles wary. I gestured for Nibbles to follow me before turning to Drake.

"I have to pick up my detector." I told him, smiling, "Thank you for battling me, Drake. I really enjoyed it."

Drake shook his head, blushing in embarrassment. "Thank you, Tria."

I smiled at him and held out my hand to the shy warrior. When he took it, I squeezed gently.

"And thank you, Drake, for being my friend." I said to him, my voice heavy with sincerity. Drake's eyes widened, but he squeezed back and nodded, smiling.

"And thank you, Tria, for being mine."

I smiled, glad that he was so comfortable around me. He hadn't even stuttered. I then walked through the World Gate, feeling recharged and ready for whatever the day had to offer.


	42. Masked Feelings

I could already tell it was going to be a long day. Professor Little gave me the repaired detector, which showed no sign that it had been broken. I'd tried to smile at him reassuringly, but he didn't meet my eyes, his face pale. I would've asked him what was wrong, but I then looked over and saw Yamamoto washing out a cloth in the sink, with Little doing everything in his power to avoid looking in the older boy's direction. I also noticed that the cloth was a deep red, and I got the sense that it wasn't supposed to be. Withholding a sigh, I thanked the young Professor and left, not sure if I'd imagined the feeling of small fingers brushing my arm. Almost as soon as I got out into the lobby, I heard my phone ring again. When I saw the name on the screen, I sighed again and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Tria." the American-accented voice of Sean reached me, "Think you could stop by America for a bit? There's something we'd like your help with."

I was about to ask who 'we' were, but a loud laugh in the background answered that question.

"All right. I'm on the way." I replied, already heading for the World Gate.

"Cool." Sean said, sounding pleased, and hung up. I shook my head at the American leader's straight-forwardness, but smiled despite myself. He may not have much in the way of tact, but with all the beat-around-the-bush I'd had to deal with, a little bluntness was refreshing.

Stepping out into the American Fossil Park, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning toward the source, I saw Lucky. He looked like he'd been heading somewhere, but had stopped when he'd seen me. I watched him, waiting for him to make a move, and released the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding when the young boy approached me.

"Hey there, Tria." he greeted me, the calm way he walked up to me unusual and painful, but understandable, "How are you feeling now?"

"Better than I was earlier." I replied, kneeling in front of my young friend, "I'm sorry for snapping at you and Leon this morning."

"It's okay." Lucky replied, hugging me when he saw my distress, "I know how being upset can make you say things you regret." His arms tightened around me, no doubt in response to the memory of when I'd been trapped in the ancient past after our argument. I embraced him in return before we pulled back.

"Where were you headed, anyway?" I asked the psychic boy, smiling as he brightened.

"Oh yeah! The Hatcher Cup is today! It's gonna start soon!" he told me excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"The Hatcher Cup?" I repeated curiously.

"Yeah!" Lucky cried, his eyes sparkling, "And, apparently, Dino Gigante AND the Flying Smile Kid are entering together! It's going to be AWESOME!"

"Are they?" I asked, now very curious, before smirking with sudden knowing.

"Yeah, apparently it's to get everyone excited for the Warden Test tomorrow." Lucky told me, before looking at me hopefully, "Are you gonna watch?"

I looked at the elevator leading up to Sean's office, my smirk widening. "Oh, I think I'm gonna be doing more than that." I patted Lucky's shoulder and stood up, smiling at the young male. "You head to the Stadium before you lose your seat."

"Right!" Lucky cried, running toward the doors leading out of the Fossil Center. He then stopped and turned back to me. "Will I see you later, Tria?"

"I have a feeling you will." I called back to him. I then spun on my heel and walked into the elevator, riding it up to Sean's office.

"Ah, Tria. Your timing is impeccable." Sean greeted me, "I have a request to make of you."

"The Hatcher Cup?" I asked, arching an eye ridge knowingly. Sean's eyes went wide with surprise while the muscular man next to him burst out laughing.

"Gya ha ha ha! You're as sharp as ever, Tria!" Dino Gigante laughed loudly, his triceratops mask in place as usual.

"Impressive as always." Sean praised me, nodding as he explained, "Dino Gigante and I are entering the Hatcher Cup, but we need a third fighter, and both of us agree that you're the only one for the job." He looked at me with a hopeful grin. "So, what do you say? Will you don a mask and ride with us again?"

"I doubt a mask would hide my identity." I said, smiling at the duo, "But I shall ride with you, just the same."

"Excellent! I cannot thank you enough!" Sean thanked me, grinning brightly, "Let's head to the Fossil Stadium."

"Gya ha ha ha! The three of us can't possibly lose! We'll be the champs for sure!" Dino Gigante declared. He then entered the elevator while Sean retrieved his mask. He prepared to put it on, but stopped when he noticed I was still there.

"Something wrong, Tria?" he asked me.

"Do you want me to take on my human disguise?" I asked him, "I don't have the good will of the citizens. They see me as a dangerous animal, so even if I don't fight directly, the fans will likely be disturbed by my presence."

"No!" Sean yelled, causing me to stop my explanation and shrink back. Sean placed his hands on his desk and sighed, pressing the fingers of his left hand to his temple as he did so. When he opened his eyes and looked at me again, taking in the slight droop of my wings and the sad swishing of my tail, he walked up to me and placed as hand on my shoulder.

"You have to appear in your true form at the Warden Test, so it would be good for you to let the people get used to you at this Cup first." Sean explained, his grip tightening as he added his other hand on my other shoulder, "And, more importantly, I will not let you feel like you aren't welcome in these Parks, especially in mine. You will join us in your true form, and the smiles you have always brought to us will shine like a beacon. They will show you where you belong; the spirit of the mask wills it so!"

I smiled at the tall leader, briefly laying my wing-claws on his shoulders before withdrawing.

"Thank you, Sean." I said, turning around and leaving so that he could don his mask. I met Dino Gigante in the Fossil Center lobby, and after the Flying Smile Kid joined us less than a minute later, we headed for the Stadium.

"Dino Gigante's muscles are gonna go ballistic if they don't get their fill of battle soon!" Dino Gigante declared from his yellow Rock Crusher as we sat in the waiting area, "And those who fall prey to Dino Gigante's muscles as known as the Fallen Ones!"

"There will be many Fallen Ones by the end of this tournament!" the Flying Smile Kid stated from his Digger's Rig, which was the same shade of blue that mine was.

"Let's hope they fall with grace." I said from my place on top of Kid's blue Digger's Rig, "I can't stand wild flailing."

At the call from the announcer, we drove out into the arena. The clamor of the audience increased in volume at our appearance, the cheers at the sight of the famous masked fighters mixed with the worried murmurs at the sight of me.

"Show Dino Gigante no mercy, for he will show you none!" Dino declared confidently as he sent out his signature Styraco.

"Don't forget to smile!" Kid told us, our opponents, and the audience, sending out his own partner, Nychus.

"I hope we won't." I said, more to myself than to them, as I released onto the field the partner who'd decided to join me that day: Thalasso.

We faced off against the opposing team. Nychus flexed his claws as he watched the Air-type Igua. An opposing Nychus hissed at the slightly larger, more experienced carnivore, but Thalasso hovered in front of the Fire-type, making it clear who its opponent would be. Styraco brandished his horns as he snorted at the Allo PT that faced him. With roars from both sides, the battle began.

The opponent's Nychus darted toward Thalasso, baring its claws, but Thalasso dodged easily. The pterosaur narrowed his eyes and spun around spontaneously, diving toward the suspended raptor.

" _Middle Spear._ " I growled, the distrustful murmurs making me more irritable than usual. Thalasso, feeling my offense, shrieked and dove at his opponent, taking his insulted anger out on the poor Fire-type. The raptor screamed and disappeared, returning to his fighter as the audience gasped.

"Well done, Tria!" Kid cheered before turning back to his own battle.

"Gya ha ha! Now we shall finish this!" Dino Gigante laughed with the thrill of the battle.

I nodded, smiling slightly, but perked up more when I heard another voice call out to me.

"Way to go, Tria! Show 'em what real power is!" the excited voice of Lucky reached me.

I looked to see him standing at the edge of the arena, grinning at me as he waved. I waved back, smiling at him, but my face fell slightly when I saw his parents sitting behind him. Specifically, when I saw his mother reaching for him, trying to pull him back, and stopping with a terrified look on her face when she saw me looking directly at them. I also saw his father glaring at me with a look I knew too well, the look that dared me to just try to come at them, to do something he could jail or kill me for. I cringed at the nausea rising at the fearful hatred in both of their gazes and turned back to the battle in time to see Nychus and Styraco pushing back the Igua and Allo PT. The battle was clearly over, but I wasn't ready for it to be. I still had rage to vent.

" _Thalasso! Wing Blaster! Blow them away!_ " I commanded my pterosaur partner. Thalasso shrieked again, having seen the same thing I had, and flapped his wings, blasting the two remaining vivosaurs back to their fighters as Dino Gears. Nychus and Styraco ducked down, just barely avoiding their teammate's attack. The audience cheered, while others gasped at the power of Thalasso and the ferocity of my orders.

"That was very impressive, Tria." Kid said, looking up through his windshield at me.

"We could've handled them, though." Dino informed me, "Dino Gigante had them in the palm of his hand!"

"I'm sorry Dino, Kid." I said quietly as Thalasso returned to me. Nychus and Styraco returned to their fighters and we began to drive out.

"Tria." Sean addressed me directly, "What's wrong?"

I looked over at Lucky and his parents, only to see him arguing with them quite vehemently.

"Just a sudden surge of anger that had to be vented." I replied, squeezing my eyes shut against the image of the tears in Lucky's eyes and the uncompromising expressions of his parents. Through the window below me, I saw Sean looking at me worriedly. Even Dino Gigante had gone silent.

The rest of the tournament progressed without incident. Thalasso and I would take out one opponent, usually before any of others on the battlefield attacked, and then we would play a supporting role for the rest of the fight, giving teammates a boost or slowing opponents when necessary. I saw enough out of the corner of my eye to know that Lucky and his parents were still watching the tournament, but I never looked in their direction. Finally, the final battle was upon us.

"The final battle is upon us!" Dino Gigante called to us, "Give 'em the ol' Muscle Hustle! Yell and scream with all your might!"

"The powerful Dino Gigante, the acrobatic Flying Smile Kid, and the passionate Tria! You'll never defeat a dream team like this!" the Flying Smile Kid declared, "And now, we ride!"

"Not the word I would choose, but whatever." I grumbled, definitely NOT feeling very passionate. We released our team, and the battle began.

Nychus faced off against the opponent's Big Allo, his experience sparring with the partner of his fighter's sister giving him an edge. Styraco collided with Jiango, both low-to-the-ground herbivores able to meet each other's level. And Thalasso hovered at eye-level with Ampelo.

Ampelo charged at Thalasso, seeing the small, fragile pterosaur as an easy target. Thalasso narrowed his eyes, recalling the memory of our first encounter with the BR Brigade.

" _Thalasso! Wing Blaster!_ " I commanded, my voice holding a ferocity that shook the arena. Thalasso screeched and flapped his wings, the strong winds he created stopping the charging sauropod in its tracks. The fighter growled in dismay and the audience gasped in shock. I smirked.

" _Now, Thalasso! Middle Spear! Finish off that lumbering oaf!_ "

" _With pleasure, Lady Tria!_ " Thalasso shrieked, darting right through Ampelo and sending it back to its fighter. As with the previous battles, Thalasso landed on Sean's Digger's Rig behind to watch how his teammates were faring.

Nychus slashed at Big Allo, sending it staggering backward. He then had to evade the Low Tackle of Jiango, jumping backward to land on Styraco's back. Styraco charged, Nychus baring his teeth and claws, and slammed into Big Allo, sending it flying back to its fighter as a Dino Gear. Jiango bellowed threateningly and charged, spikes coated with poison.

"Nychus! Somersault Kick!" Kid ordered, the grin in his voice taking on a mischievous gleam. Nychus shrieked happily and darted off of Styraco's back, ducking under Jiango's charge and striking it under its chin with his back claws. The Water-type herbivore was thrown into the air by the raptor's surprising strength, flailing around wildly.

"Let's finish this, Styraco! Horn Rush!" Dino yelled to his ceratopsian partner, laughing as the brightly-colored herbivore spun around with unexpected speed and slammed into the opponent's exposed underbelly, defeating it in a flash of light. Nychus and Styraco called out their victory, while, still perched behind me, Thalasso shrieked half-heartedly. My sour mood wouldn't let him fully enjoy the victory, and I patted his wing in apology.

"Ha ha! We're the champs!" Dino Gigante laughed as we stepped out of the arena.

"The obvious outcome." The Flying Smile Kid stated confidently.

"Nice work, guys." I said, smiling distantly at them.

"Gya ha ha ha ha! With the three of us fighting together, this tournament didn't stand a chance!" Dino continued cheerfully, "It was cake! It was pie! It was FLAAAAAAAAN!" He then looked at me with his arms crossed. "What do you say, Tria? Wanna use this as an opportunity to make a full-fledged jump into the world of masked Fossil Fighters?"

I jolted, staring at the large masked man in surprise. My surprise then turned to shock when Kid spoke up.

"That's a great idea!" he agreed, grinning excitedly, "Your ring name could be something like…the Gleaming Grappler! Or Dino Gal! Or just The Fossil! How's that sound?"

I backed away from the two men, my wings rising slightly. "Sounds fun, but I'm pretty busy…"

Kid, noticing my discomfort, leaned back and smiled at me.

"We're not gonna force you or anything. Just think about it."

"We'll even come up with a good mask design for you! Gya ha ha ha ha!" Dino told me, his tone still friendly.

"A mask design for who?"

"For Tria?"

"Tria's gonna be a masked fighter?!"

The three of us looked to see the crowd of fans that always followed the masked fighters gather around us. I backed away from the clamor and expectant gazes, hiding behind the two larger males. They both seemed to get my message and stepped in front of me.

"Not officially, no." Kid told his fans, "We were just informing Tria that she has a place among the ranks of the masked fighters, should she wish to take it."

"That'd be awesome!"

"Do it, Tria!"

"You'd be one of the best masked fighters ever!"

I backed away further, subconsciously scanning the Stadium lobby for an escape. And it found me.

"Can't you people keep it down?"


	43. The Red Fang

"Can't you people keep it down?"

Everyone turned to look at the group that was approaching us. The girl who had spoken up had long silver hair with the top dyed light pink and sharp green eyes. Her bright red outfit had spikes lining her arms and shoulders. A guy with light brown hair and red-and-blue sports jacket and pants watched us calmly, his dark brown eyes holding a look of perpetual boredom and his smirk just on the edge of arrogant. The man in the middle, however, made the other two look like sideshows. For one, he towered over them, his size rivaling Dino Gigante. He also had long, bright red hair with no sense of order about it, a black shirt covered by a bright red jacket, and dark red eyes that held an out-of-control fire just barely contained behind a thin mask of civility.

"Who do you think you are?!" one of the fans cried, insulted at the apparent disregard the group had for the celebrities before them.

"You wanna fight or something?" the guy with the brown hair asked the fan, his smirk still in place. The red one remained silent, staring in my direction intensely. I stared back, my tail thrashing aggressively.

"Hey, wait." the brown-haired guy muttered when he saw who the red-haired guy was looking at, "You aren't that famous dinosaur girl, are you? The Commander of the Vivosaurs?"

Over the voices of the fans, I stepped forward.

"That's right." I said, watching the group, with the exception of the red one, startle ever-so-slightly, "Do you need something?"

The guy recovered quickly. "Don't expect us to go falling all over ourselves just because you're some third-rate celebrity!"

"If you haven't proved yourself in battle, you're nothing to the Red Fang!" the girl yelled challengingly.

The fans, who had started protesting the group referring to me as a 'third-rate celebrity', suddenly went silent as the processed the group's name.

"The Red Fang?"

"You mean those professional battlers who only use carnivorous vivosaurs?"

"THEY'RE the Red Fang?!"

"The Red Fang? Carnivorous vivosaurs?" I thought to myself, "So they're like the Green Wave."

Behind me, a familiar laugh was heard.

"Gya ha ha ha! So YOU'RE the Red Fang!" Dino Gigante laughed heartily, "If it's a challenge you want, Dino Gigante will take you on!"

"I've heard you guys are some of the strongest battlers out there." the Flying Smile Kid stated, grinning at the newcomers, "I would like to test my skills against you!"

I watched the Red Fang silently, observing them with a wary gaze. The guy with the brown hair looked at the red-haired one expectantly.

"What do you think, Commander Aggro? These guys got the guts to hang with us?"

"Commander Aggro?" I thought, caught slightly off-guard by my own title being used on someone else.

"….." the Commander of the Red Fang remained silent as he watched my group. No, not my group. He was watching me.

"Well?" Kid asked, getting impatient, "You gonna accept our challenge or what?"

The Commander-Aggro- continued to watch me, not seeming to even notice my companions. He then nodded.

"Could be." he mumbled, his voice unusually quiet, similar to Drake, "Get ready." It took me a moment to figure out that he wasn't responding to either of the masked fighters; he was responding to his teammate's question.

"Yes sir!" the guy responded.

"Understood, Commander!" the girl affirmed, "But first…Don't you think we should tell these people who we really are?" When her leader nodded, she turned to face us.

"I'm Hellcat Saber! My frightful claws filet foes in a flickering flash!" she introduced herself before gesturing to the brown-haired guy, "This is Spike Fowler! His chompers chew chumps like creamy clam chowder!"

"Let's see what you got." Spike said simply, accepting the weird way he was introduced without comment.

"And this…" Hellcat continued dramatically, "Is the reigning ruler of fossil battling! Our brave Commander, Aggro Alaric!"

"Um…hey." Aggro muttered, definitely reminding me of Drake. However, I could tell Aggro's subdued behavior wasn't due to timidity; it was due to distraction. His eyes had yet to leave mine, their inner fire burning into my own. I held his stare unflinchingly.

"We are the three that fight as one! We are the carnivorous vivosaur corps known as the Red Fang!" Hellcat finished proudly, "Are you not afraid?! Do your knees not tremble?!"

"Gya ha ha ha! Afraid? Dino Gigante knows no fear!" Dino Gigante laughed.

"Why would we be afraid of a worthy opponent?" the Flying Smile Kid answered, grinning, "I look forward to battling your team, the mask versus the Red Fang!"

"You're really full of yourself, aren't you?" Hellcat growled, glaring at the man in the triceratops mask, who was still laughing loudly.

"You really think you can take us on? Very well, then." Spike replied, smirking, "Just so you know, we won't be easy to beat."

Suddenly, somehow cutting through the increasingly-rambunctious crowd, the voice of the leader of the Red Fang spoke.

"I…" Aggro muttered, his eyes still locked on mine.

"Yes?" I snarled, thrashing my tail aggressively.

Aggro stared at me for a few seconds, his controlled fire starting to break from the shackles that bound it. His eyes then turned bright red and he roared, his voice shaking the Stadium.

"I know you!" he roared, pointing at me, "You're Tria! Your name is legend!"

"It is?" I asked somewhat-rhetorically.

"I hear you're a warrior on the battlefield! And now I'm gonna ROOOOOOOOAAAAAARR! And GRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAARR! Aaaaaaaaand maaaaaaaaaaaaake yoooooooou wannaaaa neeeeeeever leeeeeeeavefiiiiiiiiiiightuuusnoooooooooow!"

"Er…" Spike mumbled as the large crowd backed away from the sudden berserker, "What he's trying to say is that we really want to fight a foe with the powerful reputation you appear to have."

"Leeeeeeeeet's seeeeeeeetle thiiiiiiiiiiiis aaaaaaaaaatheeeeeeeee staaarghjlehedfjazzle!" Aggro roared again, his fiery gaze only intensifying at the apparent fear in the humans around him.

"Um…" Spike muttered, looking at his leader in confusion before shrugging, "Geez, I don't know."

"I know what he's saying." I stated, much to the shock of everyone around me, "He said he wants to settle this in the Fossil Stadium." I smirked confidently at my masked teammates before facing the Red Fang again. "What do you say? Are YOU up to fighting US?"

"ROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAR! LEEEEETUUUUSFIIIIIIGHT!" Aggro bellowed in tremendous delight.

"So you're gonna battle us, eh? Don't say I didn't warn you." Spike informed us confidently.

"Tee hee! I'm going to bring the pain!" Hellcat giggled excitedly.

"Gya ha ha! This will be a battle of the ages!" Dino Gigante laughed again.

"We'll be bringing the full power of the mask!" the Flying Smile Kid declared, his blinding grin still in place.

"We'll see which Commander comes out on top." I said to the battle-hungry male challenging me.

"We'll see you in the arena." Spike told me, following his two teammates into the Stadium waiting area.

"You heard 'em, folks! We've got another challenge to take on." Kid said to his fans, "Head back to the stands if you want to bear witness to this fight!"

"Yeah!" the fans cheered, filing out of the lobby and returning to the stands.

"You ready for this fight, Tria?" Dino Gigante asked me, watching through his mask.

"Of course." I replied, looking up at the two taller males, "I wouldn't have accepted otherwise."

"Who are you gonna use, Tria?" the Flying Smile Kid asked as he and Dino Gigante followed me back into the waiting area, "Your Thalasso?"

"No." I replied, not even looking at them as I replied, "I'm using myself. I want to test this team's strength personally."

Dino and Kid were silent, and I expected them to protest. When I turned to look at them, however, they did nothing of the sort. Instead, they nodded.

"I think that's a great idea!" Kid said cheerfully, nodding his approval, "The Warden Test will likely have you appear in your battle form, so seeing it here might let people get more used to it."

"Dino Gigante has always wanted to see you battle directly!" Dino stated, eyes gleaming behind his mask, "He looks forward to it!"

"As long as you can keep up." I warned the excited fighters, "I don't hold back when I battle, and I can get quite…energetic."

Dino Gigante laughed, the thrill and anticipation filling his being. The Flying Smile Kid chuckled in a tone that told just how true my words were. He then tilted his head and made a noise of confusion, and I looked up at him in acknowledgement.

"By the way, Tria how did you understand him?" he asked me. When I tilted my head, he continued, "The Red Fang's leader, Aggro. How did you understand what he was saying? Even his own teammate couldn't understand him."

I chuckled, smirking up at him as he got into his Digger's Rig.

" _Let's just say that I'm more familiar with berserker speak than most._ " I growled, baring my teeth in a grin, " _Language based on tone and physical movement as much as words._ "

Kid's eyes widened and his mouth formed a small 'o' before closing the door of his Digger's Rig. I jumped onto it as he drove next to Dino's yellow Rock Crusher, and, together, we drove out into the arena to face the three dark red Bone Buggies waiting for us.

"I may look sweet, but I'm actually quite sour!" Hellcat informed us as she sent out her carnivorous partner, the Air-type Beckles, "Now prepare to lose!"

"Dino Gigante shall not lose!" Dino declared as he sent out Styraco.

"You did well in the Hatcher Cup. Too bad it ends here for you." Spike said, sending out the sailed carnivore, Dimetro.

"We'll see about that!" Kid called back, his Nychus shrieking happily.

"Come on, Tria!" Aggro called me out directly, his Carchar gnashing his teeth in anticipation, "Show me your POOOOWER! FIIIIIIIIIIGHT!"

" _If you insist!_ " I roared back, jumping off of Kid's Digger's Rig and transforming into my battle form. Amidst the awed, anxious gasps from the audience, I spread my wings and called back, " _Come at me with your full strength, and I shall give you mine!_ "

I darted toward the massive Earth-type, my speed giving me a clear advantage. However, I knew better than to underestimate Carchar. His size made him difficult to bring down, and, unlike Seidon, Carchar also had teeth and claws that could do damage. I jumped around him, steering clear of his jaws while striking at his flanks. The carnivore bellowed in frustration as he tried to match my movements to counter.

"Carchar! Shoulder Tackle!" Aggro ordered. The massive carnivore sidestepped and attempted to slam me with his bulk. I smirked.

" _Seen that before._ " I growled, rolling over the attack and landing on my opponent's back, " _You'll have to do better than that!_ " I dug my claws into the vivosaur's back and blasted him at point-blank range with my Angel's Fire. As the carnivore screamed in pain, I leapt up, my wings spread to keep me up in the air, and took in my surroundings.

Styraco and Beckles were continuously colliding, neither Air-type willing to yield. Nychus was darting around Dimetro, the slower-moving Fire-type unable to keep up, but Nychus was suffering damage, too, the poison Dimetro specialized in using taking its toll. I then saw something out of the corner of my eye that shocked me enough to pull me out of my battle mentality for a brief moment.

Lucky was still in the stands, exactly where he'd been during the Hatcher Cup, and was still standing at the edge staring up at me. His eyes were sparkling with admiration and pride, and I could tell he was standing on tiptoe to see as much of the battle, specifically the part concerning me, as he could. My smile at the kid's admiration of me then turned into a smirk of battle-fueled sadism. Lucky's parents, still sitting behind him, were staring up at me as well, their expressions absolutely horrified. I rumbled in a vivosaurian laugh, amused by their sudden change in demeanor. They thought they could take me on when I was their size, but now that I'm larger, they realize just how tiny and meaningless they really are. I shook my head to clear it and focused back on the battle.

"Nychus! Lunging Claw!" Kid ordered, and the raptor slashed at Dimetro.

"Styraco! Heavy Charge!" Dino yelled, driving the ceratopsian into a head-long rush.

"Dimetro! Ground Strike!" Spike called, his confident tone still in place.

"Beckles! Beastly Bite!" Hellcat cried, her frustration with the sturdy herbivore clear.

Nychus' claws were caught by Dimetro, forcing the raptor downward. Beckles dodged Styraco charge and grabbed his opponent's horn in his jaws. I watched my teammates struggle against their foes before diving toward them and roaring.

" _Get back!_ " I commanded, my authority over my vivosaurian companions taking over. As both Nychus and Styraco broke away from their opponents and jumped back, I unleashed two compressed blasts of my Angel's Fire in front of Dimetro and Beckles, sending them both shuffling backward, away from the heat. I then sped directly toward the flames, my wings expertly angled, before abruptly stopping, my wings creating a shockwave that sent my flames blazing across the battlefield. Dimetro and Beckles were consumed by the white fire, screaming as they both disappeared and returned to their fighters. The audience went wild.

"Gya ha ha! You can't stand up to the might of this team!" Dino laughed triumphantly.

"That was awesome, Tria!" Kid called to me.

I stood in front of my teammates, my wings extended high above my head. I wasn't celebrating yet, and neither were they. This fight wasn't over.

"…Yes. YEEEEEEES!" a voice from the other side of the field called happily, "A worthy opponent approaches!"

I faced the massive carnivore that was stalking out of the wall of flames, shaking them off like they were nothing. He roared at us, his challenge directed at me, and charged, jaws agape. I braced myself, Styraco and Nychus placing themselves on either side of me.

"WHEEEEEAAAAHHHAHAHAHAAA!" Aggro laughed, before growling low and dangerous, "Hungry…So hungry…Hungry for BATTLE!" His dark red Rock Crusher shook with his bloodlust, "No one can defeat the Red Fang! BRING…IT…OOOOOOONNNN!"

" _With pleasure!_ " I roared back, spreading my wings over Nychus and Styraco. The two vivosaurs howled in agreement.

"Let's finish this!" Kid yelled, "Nychus! Somersault Kick!" Nychus shrieked in affirmation and darted forward, striking the carnivore with his back claws and throwing him upward into a weak stance.

"Prepare to fall to Dino Gigante's muscles!" Dino challenged confidently, "Styraco! Heavy Charge!" Styraco bellowed and rammed the chest of the large carnivore, sending him staggering backward. Carchar narrowed his eyes at the two opposing vivosaurs.

"Carchar! Drive them into the ground! Stomp Down!" Aggro commanded. Carchar grinned and raised his large foot, attempting to bring it down on the two smaller vivosaurs.

" _Not gonna happen!_ " I barked as I shot forward, pushing Nychus and Styraco out of the way of the carnivore's attack with my wings and catching his foot on my back.

"Tria!" Kid cried, suddenly afraid for me.

"Tria!" Dino yelled as well, sounding, for the first time, pained.

"You are a true warrior, Tria!" Aggro called to me, "But this fight is mine!"

" _No, I don't think so._ " I growled, sounding unusually sadistic, " _For it is you who has fallen prey to me!_ "

I then lashed out with my tail, striking the nose of Carchar and making him withdraw. Before he could fully bring his foot back to the ground, I slashed it with my claws, wounding it so that he had to limp away from me. That's when I took my chance.

"This is not the end!" Aggro roared, "Carchar! Sand Storm!"

" _Oh, I think it is._ " I purred, standing tall as I took the Earth-type's attack head on. The blowing sand hurt, burning on contact, but compared to the sandstorms in Parchment Desert and Dusty Dunes, it was nothing. I smirked.

" _You really think this will bring me down? How foolish._ " I glowed with the power of my Blinding Strike and shot forward, barely visible in the Sand Storm until I was right in front of the larger carnivore. " _Now fall._ "

With that final strike, Carchar disappeared in a flash of light. My own light faded, and I stood before my team, proud and victorious. The audience, as well as my opponents and teammates, were all speechless. I simply stood there, waiting patiently for the humans to react, while Nychus and Styraco approached me.

" _Thank you for your support, Commander._ " Styraco thanked me, letting me rest a claw on his horned frill.

" _Of course._ " I growled back to him, " _That is my purpose._ "

" _Are you all right, though?_ " Nychus asked me, tilting his head to look up at me, " _Those were not weak attacks, and you took both head-on._ "

I flexed my other claw, feeling the burning of my strained muscles, and sighed.

" _I'll be fine, Nychus._ " I rumbled to him, " _I've been dealt worse before._ " I then turned around and walked out of the arena, the audience finally waking up and erupting in cheers. Styraco and Nychus returned to their fighters, snapping them out of their dazes, and they followed me out. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw our opponents following. Back in the lobby, my team faced the Red Fang.

"So, you defeated the Red Fang? You really are strong!" Hellcat praised me, still looking slightly stunned.

"That was amazing. And I mean that!" Spike told me, looking genuinely impressed.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggh! Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh! Wtreaaaaiugngnfudkddnshbauryd!" Aggro roared, giving a gurgling growl as he trailed off. His teammates, my teammates, and the crowd of fans watched him nervously. He then smiled and looked at me, his eyes back to their normal dark red. "Well then. It appears you satisfied my hunger and slaked my thirst for battle. I was right to fight you all along. Fancy that!" he chuckled, smirking at me confidently. "I hope we can battle again someday, but in the meantime, we should hone our skills…together!"

"Really?" I asked, perking up.

"Oh, come on!" Hellcat groaned, "Why do we get all wimpy and friendly whenever someone beats us?"

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I guess." Spike offered, shrugging. He didn't seem as opposed to the idea as his teammate was.

"Dino Gigante and Flying Smile Kid." Aggro addressed my teammates, "I do hope we can battle you again. Your techniques were a sight to behold. We could drive each other to even higher heights."

"Well said, Aggro." Kid replied, grinning.

"Gya ha ha! Dino Gigante will take you on anytime!" Dino laughed, and, with that acceptance, the crowd of fans cheered.

"Oh yeah!"

"The Red Fang and the masked fighters are friends!"

"And rivals!"

"This is gonna be awesome!"

I stood back, watching the friendly interaction between the groups happily. I was starting to relax, even ignoring the throbbing pain coursing through my body, the wounds from Seidon and Carchar taking their toll. Even through those, even through the tense discomfort at the large group around me, I was becoming happy again. Until I saw something happening near the entrance of the Fossil Stadium.

I saw Lucky enter from the stands, and he'd tried to make a bee-line for me. However, his father had grabbed his arm and started to drag him out of the Stadium, his mother placing herself between him and me. Lucky struggled violently against them, tears streaming down his face, and although the humans couldn't hear the young boy's distressed cries over their own clamor, those cries were clear to my ears. I snarled viciously, wings spreading, ready to protect my young friend, when another sound filled the Stadium, one that was equally provoking and terrifying.

Every other voice silenced as the humans all turned toward me. Even Lucky's parents stopped forcing their son out of the Stadium, and Lucky himself looked at me tearfully. Sean stared at me, his fear clear even behind his mask. I glanced at the device on my wrist, curious as to why the sound was so different now, more like a security alarm than the usual beeping, and I found the answer in its color.

"Yellow…" I whispered, hiding it behind my back. I looked at Sean in time to see him checking a device in his pocket. When he looked at it, then at me, his expression became pained. I saw what he was about to do, and I shook my head, placing a clawed hand on his wrist to keep it down and away from his mask. I heard activity at the entrance of the Stadium and looked back there to see Leon and Becky rushing into the lobby, fear evident on their faces. Lucky broke away from his father and latched onto Leon, knowing the Warden could take him to me. His parents tried to pull him away from Leon, but Becky intervened, the glare she gave them so vicious that they froze. It was clear that both Becky and Leon understood what had triggered me this time. And so did Sean.

"All right, everyone. We need you to leave the Stadium. Right now." Kid ordered his fans, his tone uncompromising. Dino Gigante, after exchanging a glance with his rival, moved forward to make sure the fans would leave. The fans themselves were not pleased.

"Wait, what's happening?!"

"What's going on?!"

"Is something wrong with Tria?!"

"Tell us what's wrong!"

"That's none of your concern." Becky informed the group of fans, "This is a job of the Wardens."

"No way!"

"Is it Tria?! Is she trying to get rid of us?!"

"We have a right to know!"

" _You have a right to die._ " I snarled, the lethal intent in my voice forcing the group to look at me. Their terrified eyes watched my wings extending, teeth bared and flames rising from between my jaws. " _Pathetic rodents. I will slaughter you all._ "

The Wardens, being the only ones with translators, looked at me in absolute shock. Leon and Becky moved between me and the group, Lucky remaining beside them despite the threat he couldn't directly hear, but could easily sense. Kid stood in front of me, shifting his gaze between me and his fans.

"The situation is complicated. Please let us handle it." Becky pleaded with the group once they'd fallen silent.

The group started to argue again, but were cut off, this time by a loud voice that held no joy like it usually did.

"Enough!" Dino bellowed at the group, startling them, "As residents of the Fossil Parks, trust in the Wardens is a must! Fighting with the Wardens will accomplish nothing!" After exchanging another glance with Kid, he nodded. "Dino Gigante will leave as well, for he trusts the Wardens!"

"So will we." Aggro stated, Spike nodding in agreement and Hellcat looking slightly incredulous. He then turned to me and nodded in gratitude. "Thank you for a thrilling battle, Tria. I look forward to working with you in the future."

"Likewise, Aggro." I replied, voice cold but not vicious.

"See ya later, Tria." Spike said to me.

"…Yeah, we'll see you soon, Tria." Hellcat followed hesitantly, the situation making her uneasy. I waved to them both.

"Until we meet again, Tria!" Dino Gigante called to me as he waved. I waved to him, too.

"Thank you, old friend." Kid addressed Dino, smiling gratefully. The large male shook his head.

"Do not thank Dino Gigante." he told Kid, "Just take care of Tria. We must look after our fellow fighters."

"Indeed." Kid replied, smiling. Once everyone else had left, Lucky's parents being forced out with the larger group, Sean took off his mask and turned to me.

"Are you all right, Tria?" he asked me as the Wardens gathered around me in concern.

"I doubt this blasted thing would be going off if I were all right." I replied, holding up my wrist, "Can you please turn it off? I'm in enough pain without a noise headache."

Sean complied as Leon and Becky approached with Lucky. They all looked at me with desperate concern.

"What happened, Tria?" Becky asked me, placing a hand on my shoulder and watching me with gentle eyes, "You don't usually go straight to the yellow stage, do you?"

"I've never reached the yellow stage before." I replied, running a hand over the device on my wrist, "Though I think I know why it didn't show green first."

I looked around at the Wardens and future Warden, all of whom were looking at me expectantly. I sighed, looking at Lucky apologetically before explaining, "I was kind of uneasy about the large crowd, but I was happy enough that it didn't bother me too much. I then saw Lucky getting dragged away, how upset he was, and I got angry. That overcame the happiness, and the tension, without anything to counteract it, made my anger worse. I think that's why it went straight to yellow."

Sean cringed at the knowledge that I had been uncomfortable and he hadn't even noticed. Becky put a hand on her brother's arm as she looked at me pityingly. Leon looked down at Lucky when he heard the boy sniffle, not even attempting to keep him from running up to me. Lucky latched his arms around my torso, burying his head in my stomach as he sobbed.

"I'm so sorry, Tria!" he cried, his grip tight and unrelenting, "I didn't mean to upset you!"

"It's not your fault, Lucky." I whispered soothingly to the distressed boy, "I'm happy that you got to see the Hatcher Cup and my battle with the Red Fang. I'm just sorry it ended so badly for you."

"Don't apologize, Tria!" Lucky yelled, looking up at me with tearful eyes, "They were saying terrible things about you! They called you a monster, and my dad said the Wardens should-" He was cut off by a sob that took the place of the word on his tongue, and he buried his face in my stomach again, trembling with the force of his distress.

"He said we should do what, exactly?" Leon growled, not really asking as challenging through his clenched teeth.

"I can guess." I said, running my clawed fingers though Lucky's rusty-red hair. I then glanced back toward the entrance and, sure enough, his parents were standing there, looking horrified at the sight of their son in the arms of a dangerous monster. I closed my eyes and held the sobbing boy close to me, wrapping my tail around him protectively.

I opened my eyes again when I heard footsteps approaching. The sound, although lost to the humans trying to comfort Lucky, was clear to me, and I focused my sharp, predatory gaze on the man who was still attempting to take Lucky away from me. Lucky's father, who had been marching up to the group confidently, froze when he felt my eyes upon him. He stared into my golden orbs, his paternal urge to protect his son conflicting with the primal urge of self-preservation that my gaze inspired within him. Although my intimidation was enough to paralyze Lucky's father, his mother was not so easily stopped.

"Lucky." she called to him, stern and unyielding, and he flinched in my arms, "It's time to go home."

The Wardens all turned simultaneously to face the couple, and their addition to my own intimidation started to take its toll on the woman's resolve. Leon glared at them, his gaze incredibly vicious. Becky wore a stern expression, even her rational knowledge that, as his parents, they had a right to his obedience not letting her relent to them. Sean crossed his arms, letting his authority as Park leader show. I simply watched them, wary but not angry. The couple looked ready to face the group, but were stopped cold when Lucky himself turned around to face them, the intense hatred in their own son's eyes when he looked at them doing what even my power or Sean's authority never could.

"No." Lucky snarled, almost mimicking my vivosaurian voice for a second, "I'm not going home. I'm staying right here."

"Lucky." his father barked, trying to sound dangerous in his authority, but when Lucky didn't even flinch, he started to back down.

"Sweetie, listen." his mother pleaded with her son, attempting a different method of reasoning, "We didn't mean to upset you, but you need to get to bed early tonight so you can be rested for the Warden Test tomorrow. You do still want to go to that, don't you?"

"Yes!" Lucky answered without hesitation. He then looked up at the Wardens pleadingly and asked, "But I can stay here, right? Just for a night?"

Leon and Becky looked at Sean, who looked slightly uncomfortable at the sudden spotlight, the kind he was not used to.

"We do have room for civilians to stay in the Park." I said haltingly, "But…"

"It's not safe!" Lucky's father finally blurted out, "These Parks aren't safe, especially for someone who isn't a Warden!"

"Now, hold on!" Sean yelled back, offended.

"These Parks are completely safe!" Becky retorted, eyes glinting dangerously at the insult.

"Not with that monster here, they're not!" Lucky's father accused, pointing a finger at me.

"Tria's not a monster!" Leon roared, stepping in front of me and Lucky and baring his teeth at the couple.

"Tria's my Paleo Pal! She's my friend! She's helped me, helped everybody, so much!" Lucky cried, glaring at his parents furiously even as tears appeared in his eyes again and he pressed his back against me, "How could you forget that?!"

"She also tried to attack you!" Lucky's mother argued back, "Don't think we didn't see it! She was about to attack you when that thing went off!"

"False." I said before any of the humans could protest, "I never tried to attack Lucky. You two were my only targets."

The humans, the couple, Wardens, and future Warden, all looked at me in horrified shock.

"Lucky is my Paleo Pal. He is very dear to me. I love him like a little brother." I explained, gently running my claws through the young boy's hair as I felt him look up at me, "I will do everything in my power to protect him. So, when I saw him struggling against you, I got angry. I wanted to protect him from whatever was causing his distress, and since that cause was you, you became my targets. Your relation to him became irrelevant; all that mattered was that you were harming someone very dear to me, and, therefore, you must be stopped." I kept my eyes on the couple throughout the entire speech, watching their reactions to my words. "That is why I attacked you. I would never attack Lucky."

"Tria…" Lucky mumbled, and I looked down at him. He pulled back from me, my grip loosening to allow him to move away, but he only turned around and hugged me again, nuzzling my stomach as more tears left his eyes, "Thank you."

My embrace tightened slightly as I held the smaller boy, looking around at the Wardens surrounding me. Leon was smiling gently at me, his face soft with pride. Becky's eyes were shining with the feeling in my speech, and she nodded when I looked at her. Sean smiled at me, his arms still crossed but no longer tense, and he looked back at the speechless couple before us.

"I think it would be wise for Lucky to stay here tonight. We'll take care of him." the American leader told the couple, "You can bring him his clothes for tomorrow. He can stay in the American Fossil Center."

"With me." Leon offered, pretending not to notice the beaming grin Lucky sent his way.

"He'll be fine here." Sean continued with a nod of acknowledgement of Leon's offer, "You are, of course, welcome to watch the Warden Test, but I must ask you to stop trying to force Lucky to leave."

Lucky's parents looked at all of us, clearly displeased with the American leader's orders. They then looked at their son, still cradled in my arms, and relented, his mother sighing and his father growling. Once they'd left and my group had returned to Sean's office, Sean faced me again.

"Tria." he addressed me, and I looked up at him, "I need to report this to Captain Stryker, but before I do, I need to know one more thing."

"Of course." I said, tilting my head.

"You've explained why you threatened Lucky's parents." he said, struggling to remain neutral and professionally-understanding as he asked, "But why did you threaten the group of fans. I know they were being difficult, but did that really warrant a death threat?"

"You threaten to kill the fans, Tria?" Lucky asked, looking up at me, though he didn't relinquish his grip on my arm. I looked down at him, then up at Sean, then to Leon and Becky on either side of me, and sighed.

"Yes. I threatened to kill the group of fans. It was unwarranted, and I regret it."

"We know you do, Tria." Sean said, crossing his arms and leaning against his desk, "But I didn't ask you if you were sorry you threatened them. I asked you why you did."

I sighed again, looking down at Lucky again as I pulled him to my side.

"Lucky." I addressed him, "Do you remember when I snapped at you after I'd first found the Cosmonium in Dino Gigante's belt?"

Lucky's eyes became tearful again as he remembered that fight that caused him a week of grief when I'd been trapped in the ancient past. His arms tightened around me as he nodded.

"Remember when I'd told you my harsh words were caused by frustration at Dino Gigante's difficult behavior?" I asked. When he nodded again, I sighed for the third time since entering the office. "Well, I lied. Partially, anyway."

"You…lied?" Lucky squeaked, looking up at me in confusion. Becky tilted her head, Leon arched an eyebrow, and Sean watched me curiously.

"Partially." I repeated, "I was frustrated by Dino Gigante's refusal to give me the belt, but that wasn't what had caused my harsh words." I stroked a clawed hand over the boy's head as I asked, "Do you know of a masked fighter named Saurhead?"

At the mention of Saurhead, everyone in the room perked up.

"Of course I know who Saurhead is!" Lucky stated excitedly.

"Wasn't he the first masked fighter ever?" Leon asked.

"Every masked fighter aspires to be like Saurhead!" Sean declared proudly.

"Wait a minute." Becky muttered, looking at me in astonishment, "Tria. You came from the past. Did you…?"

"Yes." I said to the group, "I knew Saurhead personally."

The entire group stared at me with wide, sparkling eyes.

"You KNEW Saurhead?!" Lucky and Sean both exclaimed together.

I nodded. "He and my father were close friends and rivals, so of course I was close to him as well. He played a major role in my training."

Through the awed gasps of Sean, Becky, and Lucky, Leon spoke up.

"Did you not like Saurhead?" he asked, snapping the other three out of their dazes.

"Oh, I liked him well enough." I replied, "He had a majorly-inflated ego, and he could be harsh, but he was a good person. He had high standards, but I wouldn't be the skilled fighter I am today without him."

"Then what does Saurhead have to do with why you threatened the fans here?" Leon asked the question that was on the faces of all the other humans.

"Saurhead may have helped me tremendously, and I was quite fond of him for the most part." I explained, my tone becoming darker, "But his fans, especially the devoted ones, were a different story altogether."

"His fans?" Lucky asked.

"What was wrong with his fans?" Sean asked.

My gaze hardened into a glare, and I let go of Lucky so I could walk over to the window overlooking the city below.

"They worshipped Saurhead. They were always at his heels. He wasn't a celebrity to them; he was a GOD. Perfect, flawless, unbeatable. It wasn't until my father had saved the world that they were willing to even see him as Saurhead's equal, despite my father having already defeated him six times by then." I explained, clenching my fist so hard that my claws dug into my palms. I could tell the humans didn't understand when Sean put forward.

"That does sound a bit excessive, but I don't see how it's THAT much of a problem."

"So I noticed." I snarled, baring my teeth at the window, "Think about it this way, then. How can one who is perfect, flawless, and unbeatable ever lose in a fight?"

There was silence on the part of the humans, and I glanced back to look at them. They were looking at each other in confusion.

"By…fighting someone better?" Leon suggested hesitantly.

"There was no one better than Saurhead, in their eyes." I replied, shaking my head, "He had one equal, my father, and everyone else was inferior. He had no betters."

"But he'd been beaten before, right?" Becky asked, thoroughly confused, "Was your father really the only one who'd ever defeated him?"

"No." I replied, "Saurhead had been defeated by others, including me. But whenever someone defeated Saurhead, the fans would always jump to the same conclusion. My father had been accused of the same thing before he saved the world."

"Accused?" Lucky repeated, not liking how I'd said the word.

"What conclusion?" Sean asked.

"Cheating." I snarled, turning around to face the group directly, "Every time someone defeated Saurhead, the fans would accuse them of cheating. And when they accused someone of cheating, they were not very civil about it."

"They accused people of cheating whenever Saurhead lost a battle?" Leon asked, looking and sounding exasperated.

"That is a bit much." Sean mumbled, shaking his head.

"Now, let me ask you this." I said to the humans, "If that's how they reacted when other fighters using vivosaurs defeated him, how do you think they reacted when those unbeatable teams with an unbeatable fighter were defeated by a single human-dinaurian hybrid. Several times. In a row."

The humans glanced at each other again, this time cringing as they imagined those reactions. When they looked at me again, their expressions pained, I closed my eyes and sighed.

"That's why I react so badly to fans like them, especially the fans of masked fighters." I finished my explanation, looking at my bloodied palms with sudden exhaustion, "Some of the worst abuse I've ever suffered was at the hands of Saurhead's fans. Most of it was verbal abuse and intimidation, but some of the more extreme individuals had physically attacked me. Some of them even tried to keep me out of the Stadium on Vivosaur Island. They'd formed rallies against me, made petitions banning me from competitions and tournaments, and would even throw stuff at me when I entered the arena. Not the most pleasant of memories." I looked back at them again, my eyes apologetic. "And that's why I threatened to kill the fans when they started being difficult, especially when one of them accused me of trying to get rid of them. Reminded me of my home time, the darker side of it."

Leon cringed again, now looking slightly ill at that level of bullying. Becky clutched a hand to her chest in an expression of sympathetic pain. Sean's eyes clouded as he lowered his head, his face guilty. Lucky's eyes began shining again, and he ran up to me, latching his arms around me again. I placed my wings around him, my hands still bloodied from my claws.

"Is that why you called me a horrible Paleo Pal?" Lucky asked, looking up at me, "Because I was acting like one of those people?"

"No, Lucky." I said gently to him, "You have never been nearly as bad as one of them. Your excitement about Dino Gigante and the Flying Smile Kid, combined with the fans' indignant reactions to my challenge, just brought back some bad memories. I still shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Lucky nuzzled his head into my stomach again as he clung to me.

"So that's why you looked so uncomfortable when Dino Gigante and I offered you a place as a masked fighter." Sean muttered, looking away from me. I smiled gently at him.

"I can't deny my unease around fans like them." I told him honestly, before tilting my head slightly, "But that doesn't mean I won't someday take you up on your offer."

Sean jolted, Lucky looked up at me, and Leon and Becky stared at me in shock.

"R-Really?" Sean stuttered, a look of disbelief on his face, "After all you've been through?"

"I won't lie and say it's something I can do immediately." I replied, "I'd need to become more accustomed, not just to the fans, but to the entire setting. Even so…" I looked around at all of the humans around me, before telling Sean, "I don't think it's a bad idea. Quite a good one, actually."

The humans, after hearing of my past with masked fighter fans, were rendered speechless by my words.

"What do you mean, Tria?" Leon asked finally, "How would you becoming a masked fighter be a good idea?"

"I don't exactly like hating Dino and Kid's fans." I replied, "Especially since my hatred is the result of something that has nothing to do with them personally." I ran a wing-claw over Lucky's head as I said that. "I have years of unpleasant memories of the fans from my home time, but I'm still young. I have my whole life ahead of me. If I can have some good experiences with the fans in this time, then I might be able to get over my hatred of them. I'll still be wary, that won't change, but my opinion of them might improve. That's my hope, anyway."

Sean exchanged a grin with Becky, both looking excited and proud. Leon looked at me with an impressed smile on his face. Lucky's eyes sparkled with admiration.

"Excellent." Sean said to me, "We won't push you, but whenever you want to begin your journey into the world of masked Fossil Fighters, just let me know!"

"Will do, Sean!" I replied, grinning back at the tall American leader. As he went to his desk to report the incident to Captain Stryker, Leon, Lucky, Becky, and I stood near the T-rex head fossil at the side.

"By the way, Leon." Becky addressed her comrade, "You were in Fossil Park Asia for a while. What were you doing there?"

Leon flinched and looked at the floor hesitantly. He then looked at me, then at Lucky, who was standing next to him, and sighed tiredly.

"I was following my orders." he said, looking at me again, "Orders given to me by the Commander of the Vivosaurs."

I arched an eye ridge, tilting my head. "So you actually followed through with that order? I wasn't sure you would."

"Of course I did." Leon replied, "You do outrank me, and even if you didn't…" He looked pained again, "I had to know why you're so angry with the Wardens."

"You're angry with us?!" Becky cried, looking at me in shock, "Why?!"

"That's what Tria told me to ask the Captain." Leon answered.

"And did he tell you?" I asked, looking at the taller male curiously.

"He told me that you didn't want to return for dinner last night, and that Elric had gotten unusually defensive when asked why." Leon replied, looking at me, "He didn't really tell me why, just that you and Elric were offended by something he'd said."

"Nothing else?" I asked, disappointed but not surprised.

"Well…" Leon muttered, "That's when I got the alert from that thing on your wrist, so we didn't really finish the conversation."

"I see…" I mumbled, nodding somewhat-absently.

"Tria." Leon addressed me, getting my attention again, "What did the Captain say that offended you and Elric?"

I looked from Leon to Becky to Lucky and sighed, the sound turning into a growl that left my throat in an ominous series of vibrations that evaded even their translators. Which was good, since those growls contained a rather vicious series of dinaurian swear words that definitely would've offended the humans.

"He was trying to make sure I got enough to eat, as we've been doing. That was fine and understandable, but when I'd refused to return, he'd asked if Elric could make me eat, and that implication that I can't take care of myself is what both Elric and I found so offensive. It implied that Stryker saw me as a pet or a small child that had to be monitored 24/7, and as an intelligent being that can survive more easily on her own than most humans, that really is quite an insult."

"I get where you're coming from, Tria." Leon said hesitantly, "But still…"

"That doesn't mean you should be mad at all of the Wardens!" Becky told me.

"Stryker is the leader of the Wardens." I replied, "To an outside entity, he represents the entire organization. Just like me with my pack, his actions reflect on those that follow him. Therefore, an insult from him is an insult from the Wardens. Also…" I raised my voice before the American Wardens could protest, "Other Wardens have behaved in accordance with that insulting belief of my inability to take care of myself. Ever since my revival, and especially since I lost control, the Wardens as a whole have been treating me like I'm fragile. There also seems to be this belief that I can't learn from my mistakes on my own, and that you, the Wardens, have to make sure I don't make those mistakes again. This belief and the behaviors that have arisen from them have started to annoy me, and that's why I am currently angry with the Wardens. Not with any individual Warden, but with the Wardens as a whole."

Becky and Leon looked at each other, hesitant and uneasy. Lucky kept glancing between me and the two Wardens above him, not sure what to think about what I had said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sean staring at me too, and a quick glance in that direction showed three faces on the screen of Sean's computer. Two of the faces looked worried and upset, while the third just looked terribly tired.

"I get what you're saying, Tria…" Leon mumbled again.

"But we're just trying to help you." Becky told me, looking downright plaintive, "We don't mean to hurt you, but we want to keep you from losing control again, for your safety and ours." She then tilted her head. "Haven't you already been set off multiple times?"

"Yes. I have." I replied, "Before I'd lost control, I'd been set off once, when a mob leader attacking Olga had been unduly harsh and provoked me." I narrowed my eyes as I glanced sideways at the screen. "Since I lost control, I've been set off almost constantly, and I know I'm not the only one who knows why."

The humans all glanced at each other, Leon, Lucky, and Becky exchanging glances with each other and Sean with the people on his screen. At a nod from one of them, I raised my voice again.

"Elric." I called to the silver-haired male on the screen, "Think you could come to America? I need to speak with you urgently."

"Of course." Elric replied, his words followed by footsteps and the opening and closing of the elevator doors.

"I'm going to go speak with Elric." I stated, heading toward the elevator, "I'll be back for dinner this time, I promise."

"Tria!" I heard Stryker's voice call out to me.

"Yes, Stryker." I said, walking up to the computer screen.

"Please come to my office tomorrow to prepare for the Warden Test." he told me. When I nodded in confirmation, he smiled at me. "Until then, get some rest. Tomorrow will be a big day."

"Sir." I replied simply, nodding again to the Captain before heading into the elevator without a word to any of the other humans in the room.

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Sidenote: Yes, I know her name is actually "Heckcat," but you try saying that out loud. My policy is that, if you aren't willing to use the actual word that goes with a name like that, don't try to get by with censoring it. It sounds really stupid.


	44. Spreading

I flew over the arid dunes of Dusty Steppes, Elric clinging to my back with a pair of sand-resistant goggles over his eyes. The sand was a haunting blue-gray as it reflected the small amount of moonlight that was cast over it, and the chill of the nighttime desert weighed heavy on my wings. I dove into the long canyon that led to the cave in which I had first encountered the BR Brigade, ignoring the sleeping Mapo that was the top predator of Dusty Steppes as I darted into the cave and landed softly. The site was quiet, all of the resident vivosaurs asleep, and the lack of activity fit the mood of the conversation perfectly.

"I take it the Captain told you the plans for the Warden Test." Elric said as he sat on my back.

" _He told me to come to his office tomorrow._ " I replied, snorting. Elric nodded, what little casualness was left dissipating with his next question.

"What did you wish to speak to me about?"

I lay down on the cavern floor, letting Elric get off and huddle closer to hide from the bitter cold.

" _It's spreading._ " I growled ominously. I felt the human male jolt and look at me anxiously. He then closed his eyes and leaned back against my side, sighing.

"I thought it probably was." he said, sounding very tired, "It's very unlike the Captain to provoke you, especially enough for you to attack him."

" _It's also very unlike you to be so resistant to authority._ " I added, watching him closely. He nodded and lifted his hand to me, stroking my muzzle when I lowered it to his height.

"This is troubling." Elric muttered, running a hand over the smooth scales on my nose, "Then the hostility of the fans and Lucky's parents…?"

" _I doubt it._ " I growled back, " _Fans like them are indignant by nature. Lucky's parents are afraid of me, but the fear is their own. However…_ " I whimpered guiltily. " _The unusual hostility from Lucky himself probably_ _was_ _caused by it. He was very close to me at the time._ "

"He's very close to you, period." Elric mumbled, the implication he was making chilling me like the desert night never could.

" _Have you been feeling it, Elric?_ " I asked, terrified. He nodded.

"At first, I thought it was just stress. That's still what I attribute it to." he replied, leaning his head against my muzzle, "But stress and exhaustion have never affected me this way. They can make me irritable, but I've never gotten the urge to actually lash out at someone before…"

" _Is it only when you're with me?_ " I asked, " _Or…?_ "

Elric shook his head and looked at me sorrowfully.

"No. I can feel it even when we're apart." he admitted, his tone now becoming the guilty one, "It's not as strong when you're elsewhere, but its effects are still there. And I can see it affecting others, too."

" _Is it just the Wardens?_ " I asked, whimpering as I felt sick, " _Or are the civilians affected, too?_ "

Elric nodded again, and I practically shoved my head into his lap to hide from my distress.

"If anything, the citizens are affected more than the Wardens." he explained, hugging my head to his chest, "Unlike the Wardens, they don't have the positive connection with you to counteract its effects. The Wardens also have a sense of community, something that many of the citizens lack."

I sighed, long and heavy, before rumbling quietly, " _Makes me wonder if I really should appear in the Warden Test. If the citizens are already being affected, wouldn't my presence there, at such a large gathering, make things worse?_ "

"It's a gamble." Elric replied, not even arguing, before adding, "But I think it's one worth taking. You told me yourself: the Warden Test might finish you, but it could also give you a much-needed boost. Most citizens only know your darkness. If they can see your light, it might counter the darkness within them."

" _It is a gamble._ " I growled, glancing up at the silver-haired male, " _But I've always been a bit of a gambler. The risk is real, but the reward will be worth it, if I make it._ "

"Indeed it will." Elric agreed, stroking a hand through my mane. After a few minutes of relaxing silence, I lifted my head and held it level with Elric's.

" _Do you still want to remain by my side, Elric?_ " I asked him, " _Be honest with me. Even as calm as you are, this'll still take a toll on you. The more time you spend with me, the worse it'll get. You do realize that, I'm sure._ "

"Of course I do." Elric replied, "I know this won't be easy, but dealing with you never has been."

" _Gee, thanks._ " I growled, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Your life has never been easy, but I've always been here for you." Elric told me, stroking a hand over my muzzle again, "I didn't abandon you when we were younger, and I'm not going to now."

I smiled at the human, purring happily.

" _Thank you, Elric._ " I growled to him, nuzzling his hair. I then glanced at the cave's entrance, thinking, before turning back to my human companion. " _However, for tonight, I would like you to go back to Fossil Park Asia. I'm staying here with Lucky and the American Wardens; they need me here. And you need to rest. As the Captain's emissary, you will need to appear at the Warden Test as well, and it wouldn't do to have you looking drained and exhausted._ "

"Agreed." Elric replied, simply nodding in acceptance of my orders, "I'm sure you'll be fine in America." We both then looked at Elric's pocket when we heard a familiar ringing sound.

"Speak of the devil." Elric muttered, and I rumbled in amusement as he answered with his usual calm, "Hello?"

"Yo, Elric." Sean's voice greeted the other Warden, "We're getting ready for dinner. Is Tria with you?"

"She is." Elric answered.

" _I am._ " I growled at the same time.

"Excellent." Sean said, addressing both of us this time, "Think you two can head back? Captain's gettin' worried."

"Not surprised." Elric muttered, and I snorted. Elric then looked up at me, and when I nodded, he added, "Mind if Tria stays in America with you, Sean? I think it'd be good for her to remain near Lucky, after everything that's happened."

"Honestly." Sean said, pausing briefly in a way that implied that he was glancing at something or someone, "We were hoping she would. Might be good for all of us." Another pause. "Will you be joining us, too?"

"No." Elric replied, glancing up at me again, "I need to head back to Asia. I still have a few things to take care of there."

"Hm." Sean hummed, before speaking with his usual energy again, "All right, then. Tria'll be fine with us, don't you worry."

"I'm not." Elric said, patting my neck as he climbed onto my back again, "Tria can take care of herself. She doesn't need me hovering over her shoulder all the time. We'll be back in a few minutes."

I looked back at Elric as I stood up, catching his indirect warning as easily as the Wardens surly did. As he hung up and clung to my mane again, I darted through the cave and flew up through the covered canyon into the nighttime desert. The sandstorm had stopped, and the clear night sky sparkled with stars as the silver glow of the moon lit up the sand dunes below us.


	45. The Warden Test

I watched the battles of the tournament portion of the Warden Test from my place next to the Captain, my expression one of detached disinterest. Nibbles lay next to my feet between me and the Captain, symbolizing his loyalty to both of us. On my other side sat Kowloon, who looked incredibly uncomfortable with the large crowd surrounding him. I didn't blame him; being surrounded by former enemies would disturb anyone, but he needed to be there, and he knew that as well as I did. For me, who needed the support of a packmate, for Olga, who needed the support of a friend, and for himself, who needed the reassurance that he could come to the Fossil Parks if he wanted to.

The Wardens sat around us, our area of the stands disconnected from the rest to indicate our ranking. The three leaders sat directly below our slightly-elevated area. Liu Ren was looking surprisingly calm for someone sitting so near an enemy he'd despised for so long. Sean looked relaxed as he smiled at the battles in the arena, more at ease in the Stadium than many of his peers. Drake looked nervous at the large crowd, the noise making him anxious, but he wasn't trembling, and when I'd caught his eyes as he'd taken his seat, he'd smiled at me. Becky sat next to her brother, her own smile just as relaxed as Sean's as she leaned forward to watch the battles with interest. Leon sat next to her, his arms crossed and a cocky smirk on his face. Lucky was bouncing around next to him, eyes sparkling with excitement. Violet sat next to Drake, her wand swinging around slowly as she watched the Warden candidates in the arena. In the row below them, the Asian Wardens sat together. Penny was smiling pleasantly, her blue eyes filled with the energy of the atmosphere. Beside her, Nate was leaning toward the arena, looking like an excited kid as he grinned. Roland sat next to the pink-haired male, leaning forward as well as he watched the tournament with intrigue. He, like me, hadn't taken the official Warden Test, so the process was as new to him as it was to the candidates. On Penny's other side, Mei Lian was leaning back with her arms crossed, looking bored with the tournament and displeased with Kowloon's presence. Hanzo was sitting next to her, the expression in his eyes unreadable.

Professor Little sat on the other side of the Captain. Or rather, he stood next to the Captain, leaning on the front of the stands as he watched the battles with an analytical gaze. He occasionally glanced toward me, that look also unreadable, before looking away when faced with Kowloon's challenging glare. Yamamoto sat next to the Professor, his excited smile as he watched the battles occasionally becoming tense when he noticed his mentor's unease. Elric sat next to Yamamoto, looking casual and completely unaffected by the wild atmosphere. I sighed to myself, earning me a concerned glance from Kowloon, and continued to look toward the arena as I reflected on the morning.

I had woken up on the floor of Leon's room, where I'd stayed with him and Lucky. Elric had left as soon as we'd returned from Dusty Steppes and, after dinner, we'd all retired for the night. The events of the day had worn us all out. Leon had offered to find me a sleeping bag when he remembered his room only had two beds (the default for Wardens), but I'd declined. I can sleep on cold rocks of the prehistoric eras, so the floor of a modern building wouldn't faze me. Sometime in the night, I'd heard Lucky crying, but he'd stopped when I stroked my claws through his hair, not even waking up. Lucky stayed with us through breakfast, actually conversing comfortably with Sean and Becky during the meal, and followed us to Fossil Park Asia. While they met with the rest of the Wardens, Lucky moving closer to Leon again when faced with the larger group, I went up to the Captain's office as he'd asked me to the day before. I'd been met with Stryker, Little, and Elric, all of them greeting me pleasantly. The Captain then gestured for me to sit beside him while he explained my part of the tournament. He then had me follow him to the Stadium to rehearse what I had to do, and when we returned to the office, the Warden candidates were gathered there.

There were eight candidates, just like when I'd become a Warden, and although they all had potential, four stood out. Frett and Prescott were standing together, the proper male calmly confident and the wild one vibrating with excitement. Daisy stood a slight distance away from the duo, looking more than a little nervous. Olga stood to the side of the office, away from the others, looking very uneasy at the stares she was getting. The other four, three males and a female, had been chatting amongst themselves when we'd walked in. All conversation ceased when the Captain entered, and when I followed him out of the elevator, the four gawked at me. Being in my true form, I wasn't surprised. Frett called out to me in greeting, Prescott nodded to me, Daisy perked up and brightened, and Olga waved at me shyly with a small smile. I smiled at all of them, watching the other four flinch when I'd looked at them. I stood behind Stryker as he addressed the group, knowing that these were his subordinates, not mine. After assigning the teams for the tournament and dismissing them, he gathered the Wardens who'd been waiting, and, together, we went to the Fossil Stadium.

" _Pathetic._ " I heard Kowloon growl from next to me, snapping me out of the trance I'd fallen into. I glanced at him to find his visible right eye focused on the battle that had just concluded. " _They thought they could get into the Wardens, but they can't even beat a couple of civilians?_ "

" _That's what this tournament is for._ " I growled back when I noticed Mei Lian turning to glare at the male above her, " _It weeds out the weaker candidates._ " I looked at the names on the screen as the two disappointed candidates left the arena.

"Luca Palladino and Xavier Voclain." I muttered, remembering when I'd seen them in the Captain's office, "I can't say I'm surprised about Xavier, but I'd expected more from Luca."

"He probably would've won, but his partner brought him down." Stryker agreed from next to me.

Luca Palladino was a pale 16-year-old with black hair that covered his eyes, hiding the piercing silver of his iris. That, along with his black shirt and pants, gave him an intimidating appearance that countered his short, skinny build. However, after speaking with him briefly while carrying out the Captain's orders, I could tell that he was actually quite shy and subdued. He had good intentions, and I was disappointed that he didn't make it into the Wardens.

Xavier Voclain, on the other hand, didn't surprise me at all. He had dark brown hair and eyes, as well as a deep tan. He wore a white shirt with orange flowers on it, and that, along with his khaki shorts, gave him the appearance of a tourist. He was smart when it came to general knowledge, and he had a variety of skills, but he was also rather oblivious. He was also a shameless flirt, his charming demeanor and lean muscular build causing every woman he courted to swoon over him. Except, of course, the girl he actually seemed genuinely interested in.

"Looks like they're not doing too well, either." I commented on the next candidates' series of battles.

"Angel and Acacius Spiros." Stryker said, "Siblings from a rich family. They got the highest scores on the written test, but their excavation and battling skills leave much to be desired."

"Clearly." I replied, watching their vivosaurs disappear in sequential flashes of light.

Angel and Acacius were fraternal twins from a rich and influential family, not unlike Penny and the Bling sisters. Angel had platinum blond hair and silver-blue eyes that sparkled when she smiled. She wore a silver dress with silver high heels that made me wonder how she was able to drive her Bone Buggy. She was proper and shy, smiling politely at everyone she spoke to, but that smile seemed strained at times, mostly when she had to interact with Xavier. He was clearly infatuated with her, giving her more attention that anyone else, but she was just as clearly uninterested. She had eyes for another prim and proper individual among the candidates, one who was always flanked by a wild Fossil Battler with crazy sound effects. Her brother, Acacius, had copper hair that gleamed red in the sunlight. His brown eyes also had a coppery tint to them. He wore a black suit that brought out the red in his hair and eyes, along with a white dress shirt and red tie. He also wore a permanent scowl and a straight posture that made him look like a bodyguard, and he watched everyone around him closely. The only person I'd even seen him talk to other than his sister was Luca, and even those conversations seemed limited in content.

"Hey, Tria." Professor Little called to me, sounding nervous. When I looked at him, he flinched, but continued anyway, "The two you pointed out to the Captain are up. Did you learn anything about them?"

"Ah, yes." I replied, looking at the Professor, his assistant, and the Captain when their gazes turned toward me, "I think they will do quite well. They are strong, and their teamwork is phenomenal."

"I'll second that." Elric said, not taking his eyes off the arena, "Tria and I fought them together. They managed to defeat the Mapo I've been training."

"You two fought them together?" Stryker asked for confirmation, and when we nodded, he turned back to the battles with increased interest.

"They must be something, then." Yamamoto commented idly, smiling.

"Who did you use in that battle, Tria?" Little asked me curiously.

"Myself." I replied simply as I watched Frett and Prescott win the first of their two battles. I felt eyes on me and looked to see the Captain, Professor, and lab assistant staring at me with open mouths. Nibbles was gawking at me as well, and even Kowloon was looking at me in shock.

"YOU fought them?!" Stryker exclaimed, his words bringing shocked gazes from the other Wardens.

"Yep." I replied simply, "The way they interact is familiar to me, so I wanted to test them personally. It was a tag-team battle, so Elric joined me."

"How did they defeat your Mapo, Elric?" Penny asked curiously, "You've sparred with it before, right, Leon? You said it's not weak."

"It's not." Leon replied, looking up at the silver-haired male, "Takes a lot to bring that thing down. How did those two manage it, especially while also having to deal with Tria?"

"Boost Skill." I replied simply, "Frett's Cerato TZ's Boost Skill is very powerful, and Prescott's Proto can gather fossil energy quickly. That's what makes them such a formidable team."

"That is impressive." Stryker muttered as he watched the battle below him with keen interest.

"But you did beat them, right, Tria!" Dahlia called to me, not even asking as she grinned up at me confidently.

"Yep." I replied, "With my own Boost Skill."

Everyone gawked at me, then turned back to watch the team that had managed to stand against me long enough to allow me to use my Boost Skill. Sure enough, as the second battle reached its peak, Cerato TZ began glowing with the familiar light of his Boost Skill, that light shortly followed by the two flashes of his defeated opponents. Stryker whistled before nodding his head in approval.

"They'll do well with the Wardens." he said, before muttering to himself, "Though I may keep them together for a while, at least until Frett settles down."

"That would be wise." Elric agreed, sharing a knowing glance with me.

Shortly after Frett and Prescott left the arena, two other Bone Buggies entered, an orange Heavy Hauler and a familiar intimidating Rock Crusher. Olga had been partnered with Daisy, which was a good thing, since Daisy seemed to be the most open to Olga. Maybe the forgiveness she'd been given after cheating on the written test made it easier for her to forgive Olga's past. They got along in person, but we'd have to see if that cooperation could extend to the battlefield.

Daisy's partner was familiar, and had a chirping voice and demeanor similar to her fighter: Hypsi US, an American variant of Penny's Hyspi. Olga sent out a vivosaur she'd begun training after becoming a Warden candidate: the venomous Angato. The purple-sailed vivosaur, untouched by the dark energy that had corrupted Gorgostroika, called out her confidence to every living being in the Stadium. That confidence was not lost on Hypsi US, who sang happily in support of her fellow Water-type.

"That doesn't look like a dark vivosaur." Mei Lian commented, "I thought Olga used a dark vivosaur."

"She does." Violet replied, "A dark Gorgo."

"Why is she using Angato?" Penny wondered out loud.

"I would've thought that'd be obvious." a half-human snarl emanated from next to me. The Wardens all looked up at Kowloon, but his eye never left the arena. "Olga's trying to be a Warden to make up for what Dr. Blackraven made her do. Wardens need civilian trust, and they don't trust anyone who uses dark vivosaurs. So, of course, she wouldn't use Gorgostroika during the Warden Test, a test to prove she has reformed and is now worthy of your trust."

"She's been training Angato specifically for the Warden Test." I added, patting Kowloon's leg with my tail, "And as painful as it is, she has it right. The ignorant populace would not take kindly to the appearance of a corrupted vivosaur, no matter how good the intention." I looked at all of the Wardens as I told them seriously, "Olga's trying very hard to be a Warden, so she can help people. She deserves a second chance."

My words held a heavy weight, and the Wardens felt it. They also felt that, while I had only mentioned Olga by name, she was not the only one I was referring to. Kowloon sensed that, too, and gripped my tail in thanks. Everyone's eyes turned back to the arena right as the second battle reached its conclusion.

"And that's it, folks!" the announcer's voice filled the Stadium, "Please give a warm welcome to our newest Wardens!" The Stadium roared with applause as the four Bone Buggies gathered in the arena. "Frett Collins! Prescott Benedict! Daisy Fields! And Olga Stroganoff!"

The crowd erupted again, the few anxious murmurs at the announcement of Olga's name completely drowned out by the cheers of the rest of the people. I saw Frett grinning proudly as he stood before the civilians he now protected, Prescott standing next to him with his head held high. Daisy waved at the crowd cheerfully, grinning from ear-to-ear, and Olga smiled gently as she looked around the Stadium, her smile widening when her eyes found me and Kowloon.

"And now, to give a big welcome for these new Wardens, is the Commander of the Vivosaurs: Tria Seishin!"

At that cue from the announcer, I got up and leapt into the air, taking on my battle form and calling out to the clear, blue sky. I then opened my jaws and shot a compressed orb of my Angel's Fire and Divine Mist. Once it reached a safe height, I unleashed my Heaven's Call, the sound waves triggering an explosion that resembled fireworks. I then activated my Blinding Strike, my glowing body catching the sparkling light from my Divine Mist and the dancing flames of my Angel's Fire. I spread my wings and hovered over the Stadium, casting the opalescent light over the crowd of people and vivosaurs. From my place in the sky, I could see everything.

Frett was gaping up at me, cheering at the power he'd seen firsthand when he'd faced me in Yodel Hills. Prescott was smiling at the display, tears in his eyes. Daisy was gawking at me, having never seen my battle form before, and Olga was smiling with immeasurable joy as my light warmed her heart. Over in the Warden section, Penny was staring up at me, her own eyes shining at the beauty of my light. Nate was cheering at the adrenaline brought by my attacks, while Roland gaped at the strength needed to use them. Mei Lian was grinning as she jumped up in excitement, her eyes sparkling, and Hanzo watched me with an awestruck expression. Leon gazed up at me, his own smile proud and happy, and Lucky stood on his tiptoes to see my display. Becky was grinning, her hands clapping excitedly. Violet clutched her wand as she shook with the emotions stirring within her. Liu Ren nodded in approval, Sean grinned so wide that his teeth caught my light and gleamed brightly, and Drake's smile was wider than I'd ever seen it. Yamamoto stared up at me in awe, and Professor Little bounced around like the child he was. Captain Stryker stared up at me and smiled, nodding when he noticed me looking at him. Elric was smiling, looking younger than I'd seen him in ages. Kowloon was smiling as well, looking more at ease than I'd ever seen him, my power reassuring him that, even among the distrust of the Fossil Parks, he was safe. Nibbles stood on my chair and growled happily, his excitement making him tremble. I then scanned the rest of the audience and, beneath my light, my blood ran cold.

The candidates who had failed were watching from the stands. Luca was smiling at me, his defeat not keeping him from appreciating the light show. Acacius was sitting next to him, his scowl softening at the awe he felt at my power and grace. Xavier was gawking, my appearance completely stunning him, and, next to him, Angel glared up at me with an unusual hostility. I also saw a familiar safari hat that caught my eye for a second. But none of that was what chilled me.

Because, amid the gawking faces and cheering bodies of the Fossil Park civilians and tourists, was the worst trigger I'd ever faced in the Fossil Parks. The blond hair, light skin, hazel eyes of Mikasi Acerbi. He sat buried in the crowd, watching me with such intense hatred that I felt frozen in the sky. I then felt a familiar desire rise in my throat, burning with cold and tasting of blood as a voice echoed in my head.

" ** _Kill him._** " the growl almost left my throat, and I clamped my jaws shut to keep the sound from escaping.

" _No!_ " I thought back to myself, " _Now's not the time!_ "

" ** _Now's the perfect time._** " it replied, " ** _Show these puny creatures what true power is._** "

" _I've already shown them my power._ " I snarled, keeping my voice low as my light began to fade, " _They don't need to see more. He can't touch me here._ "

" ** _Not yet._** " it growled back, " ** _Soon…_** "

" _Shut it._ " I hissed, reverting back to my usual form as I settled back among the Wardens. They didn't seem to notice any change in my demeanor, with one exception, who watching me from his place next to Yamamoto. Nibbles looked up at me nervously, and when I sighed, Kowloon leaned closer.

"Are you all right, Alpha?" he asked me quietly, knowing the translators would pick up any vivosaurian words. I looked up at him before shaking my head.

"I think I'm fine, Kowloon." I whispered back, looking in Mikasi's direction, "But I am troubled. There's someone here I wasn't expecting to see again."

"Who?" Kowloon snarled, edging closer when he sensed my fear and distress, "Who's here?"

I looked over the Stadium, watching the people file out, and replied, "I'll tell you later."

Kowloon nodded, accepting my words as his alpha, but he remained close, the safety-in-numbers mentality giving him the need for contact. I was not complaining, the ice in my gut making me ill. Nibbles nuzzled against me, and I stroked his head for comfort.

When the Wardens met their newest members in the Stadium lobby, congratulating and welcoming them, I saw a sight that further disturbed me. The candidates who didn't make it were standing together in another part of the lobby, speaking with someone else. Or, more specifically, speaking with Mikasi. Angel was listening intently, Acacius was listening skeptically, Xavier was listening curiously, and Luca was listening nervously. Angel then nodded and followed after Mikasi, signaling for her brother and Xavier to do the same. The two males followed her, with Acacius looking back at Luca when he didn't move. When Luca looked up at the taller male, Acacius urged him to follow. Luca looked down at the floor, then over at the celebrating Wardens, then back up at Acacius, and nodded. He then followed after the group, pausing only when he felt a piece of paper being slipped into his hands.

Back with the new Wardens, Daisy was chatting happily with the Asian Wardens, the American Wardens were complimenting Frett on his vivosaur's Boost Skill, Prescott was speaking companionably with the European Wardens, and Olga was practically gushing to Kowloon as he smirked at the taller woman. I smiled, glad that the Warden Test had concluded without incident, and as I shared a glance with the highest-ranking Wardens, I felt the hope in their eyes, the hope that the worst was over.


	46. Another Judge

The next few days were hectic for the Wardens. The newest members were getting settled in their respective assignments, with Daisy being assigned to America, Frett and Prescott to Europe, and Olga remaining in Asia. The other Wardens went about their usual business, usually letting their new comrades tag along to learn the ropes. I spent most of my time resting by order of Stryker, Little, Elric, and Nibbles. They weren't too pleased to learn how hard I'd pushed myself the two days before the Warden Test, taking several hard hits that hadn't had time to heal. When I wasn't resting in the Asian Fossil Park or undergoing check-ups with the doctors employed by the Wardens, I was leading Kowloon around the Parks to get him used to them and them used to him. The Wardens were still wary, the civilians even more so, but they were starting to warm up to him. Some of the Wardens were even speaking to him directly in casual settings, with Leon even challenging the former BR lieutenant to a sparring session in the Vivosaur Gym. The only Warden who seemed unwilling, or unable, to accept Kowloon's presence was, disappointingly but unsurprisingly, Mei Lian. She wouldn't be able to forgive him for the brutal way he'd beaten her, or the nightmares that had followed, so easily. At least she hadn't tried to attack him again.

I also noticed another new addition to the Fossil Parks, one who, after a few days of watching me, piqued my curiosity. When I saw him in the café area of the Fossil Shop in Asia, I approached the male in the safari outfit.

"Sydney?" I asked, startling him slightly, "Is that you?"

"Tria?!" he gasped, smiling up at me, "Crikey! Got me right scared, ya did! Like a kangaroo with boxing gloves!"

"Enough with the accent." I said, my tone deadpan, "It's almost as ridiculous as the one Kowloon used when he entered the Parsec Cup as 'Crow'."

Sydney's smile faltered slightly as he stared at me in surprise. He then shook his head and chuckled lightly.

"You're as sharp as they say, eh, Tria." he said, not really asking as he gestured toward the seat across from him, "Care to join me?"

"Be glad to." I replied, sitting across from him. After the waiter took our orders, Sydney leaned forward and interlaced his fingers as he looked at me critically.

"So…" he said, his voice drawn out. Still an Australian accent, but not nearly as exaggerated. "How'd ya know I was fakin'? No one else had a clue."

"Let's just say I'm good at reading people." I replied, arching an eye ridge, "What I want to know is why you're here and, more importantly, why you've been watching me so closely."

Sydney visibly jolted, his brown eyes wide with shock. He then shook his head again, clicking his tongue as he looked at me with a gaze that was almost scolding.

"You really are clever, Tria." he said, resting his cheek on his fist, "Ah respect that, but it's also scary, ya know?" He sighed before asking, "You won't leave without the truth, will ya?"

"I could." I replied, "But I will be cautious around you, even going out of my way to avoid you. I can guess what you're here to learn, but without knowing for certain, I cannot guarantee I can help you."

"Would ya be willin' to help if ya really knew why Ah'm here?" Sydney asked skeptically.

"Sure." I replied, leaning forward and interlacing my own fingers in a mirror of his position just a minute earlier, "My guess is that you're here to investigate my unpredictable behavior over the past week or so."

"Right." Sydney replied, sipping at his coffee before continuing, "There have been some troubling reports regarding your behavior since your revival, especially in the week leading up to the Warden Test. I was sent to find out what's going on."

"Another judge on whether my continued existence is a help or a hazard, huh?" I asked rhetorically. I nodded, looking into Sydney's face, which was pained by my wording, understandingly. "All right. How can I help?"

Sydney looked surprised again, as if he was expecting me to resist his investigation. He then nodded in thanks and wrote something on a piece of paper, handing me another piece and a pen as he answered.

"Mostly, just go about your usual business." he told me, handing me the paper he'd written on, "This is my number. If you'll give me yours, Ah may call you with questions or elaboration on certain observations."

"Understood." I said, giving him my number before informing him, "I may not always answer right away, but I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can." I then tilted my head. "Anything I can tell you now?"

Sydney thought for a moment, then looked around the Shop, then back at me curiously.

"You've been quite inactive since I arrived." he observed, "I'd heard you were a bit of a busybody, but I haven't seen that. Is it because I'm here?"

"No." I answered, shaking my head and sighing, "I took some powerful attacks head-on and was injured, so I've been in a state of forced rest. I was released from it today, but I still have to be careful. I'm normally much more active than I've been being."

Sydney nodded, accepting my answer easily. We both then glanced in the direction of my pocket when my phone started ringing. With a nod from Sydney, I answered.

"Hello?"

"Tria?" the country-accented voice of Daisy reached me.

"Hello, Daisy." I said, hearing the hesitation in her voice, "What is it?"

"Well, shucks…" Daisy sighed, her voice distressed, "Truth is, I've got something to tell ya. Think you could come to America?"

"Sure thing, Daisy." I replied, "I'll be there soon."

"Gee, thanks a bunch." Daisy said, a small smile entering her voice, "I'm in the Stadium. Please meet me here."

"Will do." I replied, hanging up and turning to Sydney, "I have to go. One of the new Wardens needs my help. We can speak later, if you want."

"I'd like that, Tria Seishin." Sydney said, standing up with me to shake my hand.

"Until later, then, Sydney Taylor." I said, finishing my tea.

"Yates." Sydney stated, and when I tilted my head, he corrected, "Sydney Yates. That's my real name."

"Sydney Yates." I repeated, nodding in acceptance, "Until we meet again. And don't worry." I added when I saw a sudden look of concern on his face, "Not a word about your presence or the reasons behind your return. I'll let you watch undisturbed."

"Thank ya kindly, Tria." Sydney replied, smiling as he sat back down. I nodded in return before heading out of the Fossil Shop and entering the Fossil Center, walking through the World Gate as I answered the call for help I'd received.


	47. Redemption

When I entered Fossil Park America for the second time that day, I immediately made my way to the Fossil Stadium. I saw Daisy sitting off to the side, staring at the floor sadly. I approached her, kneeling in front of her to get her attention.

"What's wrong, Daisy?" I asked gently, my golden eyes illuminating her face. It was tear-stained.

"Well…" she sniffled, looking at me, "After you helped me, I passed the rest of the test with flyin' colors. I became a Warden like I wanted, and I thought I was home free."

"You did very well in the tournament." I told her, and she smiled at me. Her face then fell again when she continued.

"But then word got out that I was a lowdown, cheatin' varmint." Daisy whimpered, burying her face in her hands. I cringed.

"Oh dear…" I muttered, clenching my teeth as I bit back a nasty growl.

"I went on my hands and knees and begged for forgiveness, and they decided to give me one last chance." Daisy explained, "I have to compete in a tournament. If I win, I get to keep my badge. But if I lose, I'll be sent packin'. The American Rally tournament is coming up. That's the one where you can only use vivosaurs excavated in America." She then gave me a thoughtful look and asked, "Say, Tria? You have vivosaurs from the Americas, right?"

"Is that a serious question?" I asked rhetorically, "I am the Commander of the Vivosaurs. I can battle with any vivosaur I want, from any region."

Daisy's blue-green eyes widened and she leaned forward, the look on her face desperate.

"Please, pard! You gotta help! You gotta enter the tournament with me!" she begged me, falling to her knees in front of me, "Without your help, I'll be swept out to Boot Hill! So please, pard! Say you'll help!"

"Of course." I answered immediately, "I helped you get into the Wardens, and I will help you stay."

"Really?! Yeeee-haaaaaaaw!" Daisy cheered, grabbing my hands excitedly as we stood up, "I'm happier than a buffalo in a fresh field of grass, pard!" Her smile then faltered and her gaze turned back into a frustrated glare. "Aw, horsefeathers! I plumb forgot we need a third person!"

I was about to respond, but another voice entered the conversation.

"What about me?" the voice of Becky asked. We both turned to look at the blond sister of the American leader as she approached. "I'm using Brachio, so I should be okay, right?"

"Really?! YOU'LL help, Becky?!" Daisy exclaimed, surprised by the woman's offer. Becky nodded.

"I may not approve of what you did, but I still think you have what it takes to be a Warden."

"Aw, shucks! Thanks, Becky!" Daisy thanked the other American Warden gratefully, grinning brightly, "I'll turn in my entry right away!"

"We're right behind you." I said as Becky and I followed the excited girl. While Daisy registered us, I turned to the other woman.

"Thanks for helping, Becky." I said to her, "I'm glad you don't hold any ill-will toward Daisy."

"As I said, I don't approve of her actions, but I've been working with her closely for the past few days. She's a hard worker, and she takes being a Warden seriously." Becky explained to me, "She deserves a second chance."

"Indeed she does." I agreed, glad that the Wardens had taken my words from the Warden Test to heart. I was about to activate my holographic disguise for the tournament, but I stopped when I felt a tight grip on my wrist. I turned to see Becky glaring at me, an unusual hostility in her disapproval.

"No." she told me, her voice stern and unyielding, "I know what you're trying to do. Don't."

"Don't what?" Daisy asked as she trotted up to us, "What's goin' on here?"

"Tria was about to activate her holographic disguise. She always tries to do that for tournaments." Becky answered, glaring at me with her hands on her hips.

"The citizens of the Parks don't trust me." I replied, crossing my arms as I met Becky's glare evenly, "Most don't recognize my holographic disguise anymore, so they are more at ease when I use it. I'm just looking out for the comfort of the citizens."

"You have to…hide your appearance?" Daisy asked me, confused and somewhat-distressed. I nodded, but Becky beat me to the verbal response.

"Not in my Park, you don't!" she declared, stepping up to stare directly into my eyes, "I know Sean has told you this once, and now I'm gonna tell you again. These Parks are your home, and we won't let you feel like you're unwelcome! So no using your disguise to hide during tournaments, okay?"

"You didn't have to hide during the Warden Test." Daisy told me, looking at me with sorrowful eyes, "You don't need to hide here. You shouldn't have to hide anywhere!"

"There are some circumstances when hiding is essential." I replied, but I then relented, "But, if you two insist, I will forgo the disguise this time."

The two American girls smiled at me, visibly relaxing when I accepted their argument. While we sat in the waiting area, Becky and Daisy in their respective Heavy Haulers and me sitting on Becky's, the American senior's voice reached my earpiece.

"By the way, Tria, do you have an American vivosaur with you? You're only allowed to use an American vivosaur, ya know?"

"I know." I replied, taking a Dino Gear out of my pocket and looking at it, "It just so happens that I've been traveling with an American vivosaur, who has been insisting on joining me for a while now. She'll battle with me."

"She?" Daisy asked curiously.

"Who?" Becky questioned.

"You'll see." I said as I shared a confident growl with the vivosaur in my hand. I then sat up and faced forward when we were called into the arena.

The cheers of the crowd were familiar, with a few anxious murmurs among the rest of the calls. However, I could tell that the number of people who were distrustful of me had decreased, the beauty and control of my display during the Warden Test reassuring many unsure residents. I smiled before focusing on the battle before us.

"The first battle is always tense…" Becky mumbled, "My heart's beating a mile a minute!"

"Yeeee-haw!" Daisy cheered, "Let's hog-tie these fools!"

"Yes." I said calmly, "Let's."

Daisy sent out her most trusted partner, Hypsi US, who chirped challengingly. Becky sent out her most intimidating companion, the tall and imposing Brachio. And I sent out the Fire-type carnivore who insisted on joining me while her mate watched over their eggs.

"Tria!" Becky gasped, "Is that…?"

"Yep." I replied, exchanging an excited grin with T-rex Sue as she took her place in between her teammates, "Sue's been needing to get some exercise, and she insisted on fighting alongside me to show her gratitude for helping her through her pregnancy. I thought this would be a good workout for her."

"Cool…" Daisy whispered in awe.

"That's impressive." Becky said quietly, remembering how she'd attempted to force the large carnivore into submission before she'd understood the reason for her hostility.

We faced off against the opposing team confidently. The opposing Cerato gnashed its teeth in anticipation, glaring pointedly at Hypsi US, the small herbivore seeming the easiest target. Argento swayed its neck threateningly at Brachio, sizing up the taller sauropod. And Penta stomped the ground aggressively at the sight of the predator before it.

Penta charged at Sue, the glare in its eyes vicious. Sue sidestepped easily, her experience in dealing with the large herbivore increased during her time in Starry Falls. She rammed her body into Penta's side, forcing it to stagger sideways into Cerato. With the two vivosaurs off balance, Daisy issued her command.

"Hypsi US! Chaotic Chord!"

Hypsi US bounced up to the larger vivosaurs, singing the wild notes strongly and sending her opponents into an even more unstable state. As they attempted to struggle to their feet, Argento rushed over to stand in front of them protectively. But the effort was in vain as the Stadium shook with the charge of another vivosaur.

"Brachio! Heavy Shoulder!" Becky ordered. The massive herbivore bellowed as he slammed into his three opponents, pushing them all back. With the three collapsed together, I gave the battle's final orders.

" _Now, Sue! Infernal Fire!_ "

Sue roared viciously, marching up to her opponents proudly before opening her jaws and unleashing the flames born from her Fire-type energy. The attack consumed the three vivosaurs, sending them fleeing back to their fighters. Our team howled victoriously.

"Yeee-haw!" Daisy cheered again, "We won! That's one battle down!"

"We're on a roll!" Becky agreed happily.

"Let's keep it up!" I told them both, smiling as I felt the joy in Sue's Dino Gear.

Throughout the tournament, I could feel Daisy's determination to win. That determination was reflected in Hypsi US, who pushed herself to the limit and beyond. Becky and Brachio were observing as much as helping, watching over the younger pair with an almost sibling-like affection. My tail thumped happily on the roof of the Heavy Hauler I'd perched on as Sue set the field ablaze, her maternal protectiveness and ferocity showing themselves clearly. The final round came quickly.

"It's the final!" Becky told us as we faced our last opponents, "Let's give it our all!"

"I ain't backin' down for no one!" Daisy declared confidently.

"That's right!" I called to the girl, glaring at our opponents.

Each of your vivosaurs faced off against a member of the other team. Hypsi US faced the mirror image of herself, the opposing Water-type pawing the ground aggressively. Brachio swayed his neck intimidatingly at Giganto, the large Fire-type snorting at the Neutral-type herbivore patronizingly. And T-rex Sue growled at Gorgo, her familiarity with the Gorgo I'd trained igniting her vengeful desires. Each side called out to the other, and the battle began.

Gorgo charged at Sue with gaping jaws, aiming for her neck like an accomplished predator. Sue, however, was also an accomplished predator, and crouched down.

" _Cranial Upper!_ " I ordered, my tone gleefully vicious. Sue smirked and threw her head upward, catching Gorgo's chin and throwing it into a weak stance. She then lunged forward, her Shoulder Tackle sending it staggering backward before her Thunderous Roar defeated it.

"Nice work, Tria!" Becky called as Brachio sent Giganto flying with his Tail Axe.

"We'll finish this!" Daisy told us, her voice unusually stern with her seriousness, "Hypsi US! Diva's Dance!"

Hypsi US sang out confidently, her voice telling her opponent that she was going to win. She then ran forward and kicked its chest, sending it back to its fighter. Our vivosaurs howled victoriously.

"We won!" Becky cheered when we got back into the lobby, "I'm so happy! Now Daisy can finally become a Warden!"

"Oh, this is a dream come true!" Daisy cried happily as she hugged the other blond, "Someone pinch me!"

"Finally, eh?" I spoke up from where I sat on the bench, coincidently where Daisy had been sitting when she called me, "I'd thought Daisy was already a Warden."

The two girls separated as they looked at me. Daisy looked away in embarrassment while Becky faced me directly.

"She was." the veteran Warden informed me, "But then we found out that she'd cheated on the written portion of the Warden Test, so her license was revoked until she proved herself."

"Cheated?" I asked, feigning the same emotion I saw on Daisy's face. Becky nodded.

"Yeah. Apparently, she had someone help her with writing a paper for the test. The Wardens don't tolerate cheaters, but you did tell us about the importance of second chances, so we gave Daisy this opportunity. And since she passed, she is now a Warden."

"The Wardens don't tolerate cheaters, eh? I guess it's a good thing I'm not actually a Warden anymore, or I'd have to prove myself as well." I said, interlacing my fingers and tapping my knuckles as I leaned back.

"You're not a Warden, pard?" Daisy asked me, now thoroughly confused. I shook my head.

"No. As the Commander of the Vivosaurs, I am an ally of the Wardens, but not an official member, just like your Hypsi US isn't a Warden herself, but she is allied with a Warden, you."

"What do you mean, Tria?" Becky asked, confused over a different issue, "Did you cheat to get into the Wardens?"

"Not technically, no, although I did evade the background check." I replied, arching an eye ridge as I focused on Daisy, "You really didn't tell them?"

"Tell us what?" Becky asked, turning to glare at Daisy, "What have you kept from us?"

"That I was the one who helped Daisy with the written test." I answered, standing to properly face the woman.

"What?!" Becky exclaimed, turning to face me again in shock, "YOU'RE the one who helped Daisy cheat?! Why?!"

"Because Daisy has excellent instincts." I replied, nodding to the blushing girl, "They can match mine. I wasn't about to let her fail, especially over something as stupid as a dropping fossil."

"But you can't help people cheat!" Becky yelled, glaring at me now, "That goes against the integrity of the Warden organization!"

"In that case," I snarled, glaring back unflinchingly, "You'd better break off your alliance with me, though I can't guarantee there won't be severe consequences for that." At the look of utter shock on Becky's face, I crossed my arms. "I told this to Nibbles, and I'll tell it to you. I'm a habitual cheater, one that is not bound by the 'codes of honor' you humans follow. I've had to cheat to survive, and I am not ashamed of it. I also don't see a problem with asking for help when needed. Or would you prefer Daisy be like me and Leon and try to take on everything alone?"

Becky stood in front of me in shock, and even Daisy was looking at me with an open mouth. I shook my head, leaving with a flick of my tail.

"Not that you have to worry about that. As I said, I'm not a Warden anymore, so I don't have to prove anything to you. It's about time for dinner, so I'll see you both later."

I then left, ignoring the calls from both Wardens, and returned Sue to her mate and family before going back to Asia for dinner.


	48. The Positive Duo

I was more relaxed the next day as I walked through Fossil Park Europe. I'd received a call that morning from a very excited Frett asking me to join him and Prescott at the European Stadium, and from the young Warden's tone and the exasperated sighs in the background, refusal wasn't an option. I smiled at Frett's energy and Prescott's attempts to calm him, and I wasted no time in meeting the duo.

"About time, Tria! Hurry up so we can raaaaaawk!" Frett yelled to me when I approached them.

"Don't be so loud, Frett!" Prescott reprimanded his partner, "You'll scare our erst companion away!"

"Aw, feedback! That stuff doesn't matter!" Frett replied dismissively, "All we gotta worry about is entering the Rising Star Rumpus! Wacka chicka waaaaa!"

"Don't worry, Prescott. I won't be scared away so easily." I said reassuringly to the calmer male before asking, "What's the Rising Star Rumpus?"

"Ahem!" Prescott coughed, glaring at his companion to silence him, "Yes, well, a brief semblance of an explanation is in order. The tourney we're about to enter is three against three, which means we need a third body if we've any hope of competing. Seeing as how you're the rugged type, we were thinking you might see fit to join us, old sport!" Prescott tilted his head and smiled at me hopefully. "Can we count on your going to bat for us?"

I smiled back at the duo, the strictly positive nature of my friendship with them refreshing. It wouldn't last forever, so I would enjoy it while I could.

"Sure, I'll bat for you."

"I knew you couldn't resist another turn in the spotlight!" Frett cheered ecstatically.

"Ha! No one stands a chance against this dastardly trio!" Prescott agreed happily.

"Actually, I can't resist spending time with people who aren't afraid of me." I thought to myself as I followed the two young Wardens into the waiting area. I debated using my holographic disguise, but then Frett grabbed my wrist and dragged me with him excitedly before I could. The easy acceptance the two had for my true form eased my mind and lit my heart, and I grinned happily in response to Prescott's exasperated sigh. When we got into the waiting area and reached their Bone Buggies, the calmer male looked at me in confusion.

"Where is your Bone Buggy, Tria?" he asked me.

"Which one?" I asked in return, "I've had two. Neither are available to me now."

"You don't have a Bone Buggy?!" Frett exclaimed, staring at me in shock, "How are you gonna enter this tourney with us?!"

"Easy." I replied, jumping up and landing on top of Prescott's silver Heavy Hauler, "I just hitch a ride on the Bone Buggy of a teammate. Does this displease you?"

Prescott stared up at me for a second before realizing that my question had been directed at him, and he rapidly shook his head. "N-No! Of course not! Just took me by surprise for a spell."

"Hey!" Frett cried suddenly, "What about me? Can you sit on my Bone Buggy?"

"Sure, Frett." I said, looking down at the two males, "How about this? I'll perch up here during the first two rounds, then I'll move to your Turf Shredder for the final. Sound good?"

"Heck yeah!" Frett cheered, jumping around happily before rushing to his Bone Buggy, which seemed to tremble with its driver's energy.

"Calm down, Frett!" Prescott cried, before sighing and shaking his head.

"That all right with you, Prescott?" I asked from my perch on top of his Heavy Hauler. My teammate looked up at me with a smile.

"Of course, old sport." he said cheerfully, "To be honest, I don't particularly care, but I am glad to be of assistance to you."

"Thank you, Prescott." I said to the calmer male as he got into his Bone Buggy and drove it next to his partner's. I then faced forward as we were called into the arena, running a hand over the Dino Gear of the vivosaur who had been joining me for the past few days.

"All right! Who wants a piece?" Frett called to his opponents as he released Cerato TZ.

"Brace yourselves, sports!" Prescott warned the opposing team, Proto screaming in agreement.

"I won't go easy on anyone!" I stated proudly, a flash of light releasing my teammate: Gorgo.

Cerato TZ faced off against the opposing Pachy, smirking at the type advantage he held. The other team's Igua US attempted to help its teammate, but Proto stood in its way, his green eyes glaring viciously. And Gorgo squared off against the opposing Beckles, also recognizing the type advantage he held over the other carnivore.

Pachy charged first, its impatient nature mimicking that of Dahlia's partner. Cerato TZ narrowed his own red eyes and sidestepped the hasty herbivore, clamping his jaws down onto the Earth-type's back and lifting it into the air.

"Cerato TZ! Drop Kick!" Frett ordered. Cerato TZ snarled and threw Pachy in to the air before jumping after it and kicking it with both feet, sending it back to its fighter. "Perfect solo!"

"Nice work, old sport!" Prescott called before ordering his vivosaur partner, "Finish it, Proto! Flying Smash!" Proto whistled confidently and darted directly under Igua US, jumping upward and throwing it into an upward stance. He then spun through the air and slammed into the Fire-type herbivore's chest. Igua US staggered backward before disappearing in a flash of light. "This battle's gonna be one for the papers!"

"Indeed it will!" I said as Beckles disappeared as well to escape Gorgo's Deadly Fangs. Our vivosaurs howled victoriously before returning to us.

"Chalk that up as a win!" Prescott declared proudly.

"Check these fat licks!" Frett cried happily.

"Check 'em!" I laughed, enjoying the energy.

As promised, I sat on Prescott's Heavy Hauler for the second battle as well, which progressed similarly to the first. When we were called for the final, I jumped onto Frett's Turf Shredder, smiling down at the hyper Battler as he grinned at me through his window.

"The final! The finaaaaaaal!" Frett yelled as we drove back onto the field, "We gotta break on through to the other siiiiiiiiide!"

"In my younger and more vulnerable years," Prescott said, his voice calm and serious, "My father once told me to kick your butts!"

"Er…" I muttered at the odd comments from both males, "What they said!"

When the battle began, both sides charged, the anticipation for the final battle making both teams impatient. Cerato TZ collided with his own mirror image, locking silver horns as the two carnivores struggled. Proto zigzagged around Paraloph, knowing from experience not to take a hit from the Air-type. And Gorgo clashed with T-rex Sue, the two Fire-types fighting for dominance on the battlefield.

"Cerato TZ! Hind Strike!" Frett ordered. Cerato TZ growled and struck the other Air-type across the face with his foreclaws, making it stagger backward.

"Proto! Dome Dash!" Prescott called to his partner. Proto whistled in acknowledgement and darted forward in an attempt to slam into the larger herbivore. Paraloph raised its forearm and used its Face Slapper to halt Proto's charge. Prescott laughed, as if he'd been expecting that move, and issued his next command, "Now! Flying Smash!" Proto smirked from his position underneath his opponent and launched himself upward, just as he'd done in the first round. Unlike in the first round, however, he was almost directly beneath Paraloph, so when he struck with the strength few expect from a vivosaur of his size, the other herbivore was sent flying. That's when I grinned sadistically.

" _Gorgo! Tail Bash!_ ' I commanded, seeing the carnivore's eyes light up in recognition when he registered my words. He charged toward the falling Paraloph, easily side-stepping T-rex Sue, and slammed his tail into the Air-type herbivore. Paraloph crashed into T-rex Sue, which in turn sent both of them staggering into the opposing Cerato TZ. Frett laughed loudly as his partner began glowing with familiar power.

"Let's rock, Cerato TZ! Crusher Charge!" he cheered. Cerato TZ roared as he slammed into all three of his opponents, sending them all flying back to their fighters as Dino Gears. Our team howled as the audience went wild.

"Thank you! There will be no encore!" Frett yelled when we got to the lobby.

"As always, you fought most bravely, Tria." Prescott praised me, "My thanks for joining us."

"Yeah!" Frett agreed enthusiastically as he threw his arms around our shoulders, "We rock! We roooooock!"

"We sure do!" I agreed with Frett, smiling at both of them, "The pleasure is mine. I always enjoy working with you two."

"Likewise, old sport!" Prescott said cheerfully.

"Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaahhh!" Frett yelled confidently, grinning at both of us. Prescott and I chuckled at the other male's energy.

We stood like that for a few moments before I perked up at a familiar alert from my phone. I glanced at the screen before separating from the spontaneous huddle.

"As much as I would like to continue hanging out with you two, I'm afraid duty calls." I told them.

"Aw, man! More feedback!" Frett whined, pouting.

"Now, now, Frett." Prescott consoled his partner, "Tria is the Commander of the Vivosaurs. She's equal in rank to the Captain, so of course she's busy."

"That's right." I said, placing my wing-claws on their shoulders, "I did have fun, though. We must hang out again soon. But until then, I have my job, and you have yours. You are Wardens, after all." I then left the Stadium, leaving the two males looking at each other. Once I got outside, I took out my phone again and dialed a specific number before putting it to my ear.

"All right. What've you got?"


	49. Clouded Gem

I made my way through Fossil Park Europe, sighing as the cool wind hit my face. Despite not doing much of anything since the Warden Test, I was still tiring easily, and that fact irked me. The energy I got during the Rising Star Rumpus the day before had worn off by the evening and seemed to remain gone even through to the next day. Then again, with the back-to-back meetings I'd had in the morning, one with Sydney to discuss the device on my wrist and one with Dr. Digmore to give him the interview I'd promised him, my lack of energy really shouldn't have surprised me. I often found myself gravitating to Fossil Park Europe when I was tired or stressed, the old, classical feel of the Park easing my mind. However, I could tell when I entered the Stadium that this particular visit would be anything but restful.

"Ah, Tria! How are you, darling?" Sapphire Bling greeted me cheerfully. I was about to respond when the voice of her older sister, Ruby Bling, spoke up.

"Nevermind that." she said dismissively with a flick of her wrist, "What say you and us go out and have some FUN?"

"Fun?" I growled, backing up and narrowing my eyes suspiciously, "What kind of fun?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Sister!" Sapphire groaned, placing her jeweled hand over her eyes in exasperation, "Think about what you're saying before you say it!"

"Ugh! You're such a killjoy, Sapphire!" Ruby admonished her sister before turning back to me, "Anyway, join us for a bit, okay?"

"Not until you tell me what's going on." I answered, glaring up at the pink-clad woman. I was not the only one.

"You're talking in circles again, dear Sister." Sapphire sighed tiredly, "Perhaps you should explain exactly what it is you want."

"Me? Explain things? Boooooooooring!" Ruby cried dramatically, "Plus, explaining is for servants and stuff. You do it."

"Goodness, she can be difficult." Sapphire sighed again, making Ruby glare at her.

"Difficult?" she cried indignantly, "What about that time you spilled juice on my best mink stole when we were kids? Huh? What about THAT?"

"You really need to let that go." Sapphire replied, shaking her head.

"Look, I don't have time to listen to your petty sibling squabbles." I told the two women, "Either you tell me what you want, or I'm leaving."

Ruby seemed about to comment on my tone, but Sapphire interrupted her as she stepped toward me.

"As it turns out, we want to enter a tournament. A rather…unofficial tournament, if you get my meaning." she explained, "This tournament has a specific sponsor, you see, and we were hoping that-"

"It's a gem trader! The sponsor!" Ruby interrupted excitedly, "And the winner gets a rare gem that's worth soooooo much money! And we really want that gem, but the whole tournament is nothing but three-on-three battles."

"I suppose you see now where you might come into this scheme, then?" Sapphire asked for confirmation.

"Oh, I do." I mumbled, thinking suspiciously about this 'gem trader'.

"So you'll enter, right?!" Ruby asked as she leaned forward, thoroughly invading my personal space as she eyed me expectantly, "You'll help us get the gem?"

"…Sure." I answered after a moment, "I'll help you win the tournament."

Ruby laughed as she stood up straight again, her tone patronizing as she looked at her sister with an 'I-told-you-so' look. "See, Sis? I TOLD you poor people would fall all over themselves to help a couple of cute rich girls like us!"

" _You wish._ " I snarled, knowing they didn't carry the translators worn by the Wardens. Ruby didn't seem to notice the sound I'd made, but Sapphire did, and when she saw the insulted look on my face, she stepped in again.

"Despite what my sister says, we do appreciate your help." she told me, smiling apologetically at my skeptical look, "We will go and enter the tournament right away!"

"But first, maybe you should change clothes or something." Ruby said, looking down at me in disgust, "I swear you're wearing the same thing every time I see you."

"Will this do?" I asked as I activated my holographic disguise. I then walked forward and gestured extravagantly to the reception desk. The two women followed me, Ruby self-important and Sapphire apologetic. When they went into the waiting area after they registered, I made to follow them, but stopped at the door and pulled out my phone.

"H-hello?" the voice on the other end greeted hesitantly.

"Entering a tournament sponsored by a mysterious gem dealer with a rare gem as a prize. Be ready to catch and subdue if necessary." I answered seriously, eliciting a gasp from the other end.

"O-Oh. Okay…um, good luck."

"Same to you." I said before hanging up and following my teammates into the waiting area. I got into the unmarked Bone Buggy I used when in my human form and drove up to the pink Turf Shredder and dark blue-and-white Speed Demon, the two pristine Bone Buggies as recognizable as their drivers.

"Tria, darling! What kept you?" Sapphire asked me curiously. When their faces appeared on my screen, Ruby glared at me in annoyance.

"I had to make a phone call." I answered vaguely, returning Ruby's glare unflinchingly. Sapphire looked between us nervously.

Once we were called into the arena, Ruby and Sapphire both brightened.

"It's us! The Posh Pair!" Ruby announced proudly to the audience.

"Let's take this one at a time and win it all." Sapphire told us, her rationality showing through.

"Sounds like a plan." I said as I sent out the partner who joined me whenever I was stressed out: the calm and patient Stego. Ruby and Sapphire sent out their partners, the Fire-type Saichan and the Water-type Cryo. The two sides roared at each other as usual and the battle began.

The tournament was more difficult than most. The opponents weren't any stronger than the ones I'd faced with Frett and Prescott the day before, but my teammates this time were far less reliable than any of the Wardens. They weren't used to fighting for themselves ("That's what servants and poor people are for."), so Stego and I had to do most of the work. On top of that, I was also looking for the sponsor that was supposedly offering a rare jewel as a reward. Once I spotted him during the second round, I watched him closely. He looked confident, a well-groomed man with a short brown hair smoothed down with gel that made it shine. He had two taller men wearing sunglasses standing on either side of him, obviously bodyguards. I narrowed my eyes before turning more of my focus to the final battle.

"The finals are about the start! And the Posh Pair loves you ALL!" Ruby declared happily to the audience.

"Kiss kiss! Oh, what adoring fans!" Sapphire sang before turning toward me and ordering, "Let's go, Tria."

"Might as well finish this." I said, exchanging a glance with Stego before adding, "Quickly."

Stego nodded, as she faced the three vivosaurs before us. U-raptor flexed its claws and hissed at us. Angato swung its head from side-to-side threateningly. F-raptor gnashed its teeth in anticipation. Stego waved her spiked tail around, glaring at the three carnivores resentfully. Next to her, Saichan waved her own clubbed tail with the baseless confidence she got from her fighter. Cryo hissed back at his opponents as an icy mist leaked from between his jaws. I narrowed my eyes as the battle began.

The three carnivores charged toward us at once, attempting to overwhelm us with their collective intimidation. Stego glared in irritation as she crouched down.

"Saichan! Low Tackle!" Ruby ordered her vivosaur. The spikey herbivore charged forward to meet her opponents.

"Cryo! Icy Upper!" Sapphire called sternly. The arctic carnivore darted forward with his horns pointed at U-raptor.

" _Halt!_ " I commanded, my authority overcoming the vivosaurs' loyalty to their fighters. Even our opponents hesitated at my words, and I took that opening. " _Blade Barrage!_ "

Stego bellowed viciously as she launched the blades of wind from her backplates. Saichan and Cryo stopped their attacks just in time to avoid Stego's, and as the blades rained down on our opponents, one of them disappeared, while the other two were left severely weakened. I glanced at the sponsor again, and, seeing him start to leave the Stadium, became impatient.

" _Saichan! Paralysis Hammer! Cryo! Frigid Kick!_ " I commanded, my eyes flashing golden as I bared my teeth. The two vivosaurs roared in acceptance of my orders and charged toward the weakened carnivores. They both leapt up in unison and spun through the air, bringing the fire-coated club and the ice-coated foot down on Angato and U-raptor. The two weakened vivosaurs fled into their Dino Gears and returned to their fighters while our team gloated in their triumph.

"Yes! Victory is ours!" Ruby cheered joyfully.

"Was it really necessary to take control of our vivosaurs, too, Tria?" Sapphire asked me, sounding vaguely annoyed.

"Yes, it was." I snapped back at her, "Besides, fighting is for 'servants and poor people', and as an identified 'poor person', I'm the one who does the fighting. Why are you complaining, cute rich girl?" I spoke the last words with a resentful venom that made the blue-haired woman visibly flinch. Ruby didn't seem to notice.

We drove back into the waiting area so that they could prepare the trophy, just like tournaments always did. However, when we were called back into the arena to collect the trophy, I didn't join them. Letting the audience assume that I was just some hired help, I ditched my holographic disguise and sped toward the back exit of the Stadium. There, I faced the gem dealer and his bodyguards.

"Where are you running off to in such a hurry?" I asked, crossing my arms as I glared at the three men, "You haven't even presented the winners with the promised gem, yet."

"Sudden change in plans." the dealer informed me, not even attempting the charming façade he normally held, "I knew the third member of the winning team was you, Commander Tria. Your roar gave you away."

"I figured it did." I replied, "Not that it matters now." I then opened my mouth and unleashed my Heaven's Call, deafening the three humans. As they covered their ears, I heard the rush of feet behind me.

"Boss! The Wardens!" one of the guards yelled as Violet and Dahlia rushed into the exit tunnel we were standing in.

"Get rid of them!" the dealer ordered. The two bodyguards glared past their sunglasses and reached back to grab the guns they had hidden in their jackets.

" _Not gonna happen!_ " I roared as I lunged forward, slashing the wrists of both bodyguards and rendering their hands useless. I then knocked them both out with my wings as the dealer faced the European leader.

"Murphy Hope Edwards." Drake stated, reading from the warrant in his hand, "You are under arrest…for, um, illegal trafficking of precious jewels."

"Like hell I am!" Murphy yelled, pulling out his own gun and pointing it at Drake, "If I'm going down, you're comin-ack!" He then fell forward, rendered unconscious by a smack from my tail to the back of his head. I smiled up at Drake, and he smiled back gratefully.

"Way to go, Tria!" Dahlia praised me, slapping my back roughly.

"You're quick as ever, Tria." Violet said, sounding slightly jealous, "Even I hadn't foreseen that they would be here. How'd you find them?"

"Luck." I replied simply, "Pure luck. I joined two of my Paleo Pals, rich jewel-hunting sisters, for this tournament because they wanted the rare gem he was offering as a reward."

"The r-rare gem?" Drake asked nervously.

"You mean this?" Violet asked as she reached into the dealer's pocket and pulled out the beautiful dark blue gem. She handed it to Drake, who studied it closely.

"Probably." he muttered, placing it in his pocket before grabbing the dealer while Violet and Dahlia took the bodyguards, "Tria? Are those two…?"

"No." I denied, "They don't know anything about this guy's operation. They want the gem, but they don't know it was obtained illegally. They're a rather…oblivious pair, but they're essentially harmless."

"Are they the two prissy chicks that made you dig up some jewel for them because they didn't want to get dirty?" Dahlia asked in disgust.

"The same." I replied, nodding to Drake and Violet.

"…All right, Tria." Drake said after a moment.

"If you say so." Violet relented.

"See you all later, then." I said, waving to them as I headed back to my displeased teammates, who had just finished talking to the receptionist.

"Well, victory is ours." Sapphire was muttering to herself, "And yet…"

"You shouldn't frown like that, Sister. It does your wrinkles no favors." Ruby informed her sister. She clearly hadn't been listening to a word the receptionist had said.

"I can't help it." Sapphire replied, looking down in disappointment, "Apparently, the sponsor of the tournament has just been arrested for running an illegal underground operation."

"Wh-What about the gem we won?" Ruby cried, her eyes widening in sudden panic, "That's okay, right? RIGHT?!"

"Afraid not." I replied, catching their attention, "That gem was confiscated as evidence. Just be happy you won the tournament."

"That is true…" Sapphire muttered, nodding in acceptance. Or, at least, she started to, but her sister spoke up.

"Hey, wait a minute…" Ruby said, marching up to and glaring down at me, "How do you know what happened to the gem?!"

"I was there." I replied simply, looking into their shocked faces blankly, "Where did you think I was when you two were accepting the trophy?"

"YOU arrested the sponsor?!" Ruby cried, looking absolutely incredulous, "And you didn't get the gem?! What is wrong with you?!"

"Calm down, Sister." Sapphire said, attempting to placate the fuming woman when she saw the insulted look on my face, "We should just be happy Tria was our partner. Otherwise, we'd probably be going to prison as well."

"That's hardly a consolation!" Ruby cried as she turned on her sister, "You know Daddy would have gotten us off on some technicality anyway!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I snarled viciously at the bratty woman, "I suppose I should've let you two go to prison instead of defending you like I did."

"No." Ruby snapped at me, her tone thoroughly patronizing, "What you SHOULD have done is get the gem we worked so hard to win!"

"WE?!" I screamed, finally snapping, "What do you mean 'WE'?! I did most of the work fighting, since you were too 'rich' to be bothered! Rich, indeed! I even took command of your vivosaurs for you during the final battle!"

"We didn't tell you to take control of Saichan and Cryo!" Ruby screamed back.

"Yes you did!" I barked, "You said yourself that fighting was for poor people and servants, and you'd called me a poor person before the tournament had even begun!"

"That doesn't mean you can control what isn't yours!" Ruby snapped as she glared at me, "Saichan and Cryo belong to me and my sister! Daddy bought them specially for us, and I won't have the likes of you thinking you can order them around like the common vivosaurs you use!"

"Common vivosaurs?!" I snarled, my wings extending as I felt Stego's indignant anger from her Dino Gear, "Let's see how special your exclusive vivosaurs are when I tear them and you to shreds!" Pale embers left my mouth and I bared my claws as I felt a new emotion radiating from Stego's Dino Gear, an emotion reflected in the faces of the Posh Pair: fear. " _Let's see how high you stand when I bathe this Park in your blood!_ "

I could hear the alarm from the device on my wrist, the sound indicating yellow, but I didn't pay it any mind. I did, however, shift my focus from the cowering sisters when I heard frantic footsteps at the Stadium entrance. Dahlia rushed into the lobby, the fastest of the Wardens naturally the first to reach me. Her orange eyes were wide with panic, panic matched in the golden and blue-green eyes of the two newest European Wardens when they ran in right after her. They surrounded me, forming a barrier between me and the Posh Pair as Violet and Drake ran in and placed themselves in between me and my prey as the final shield.

"Tria?! What's going on?!" Frett cried, looking truly frightened.

"Are you all right, old sport?!" Prescott asked, reaching out to me hesitantly.

"Tria!" Dahlia yelled, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me roughly, "Snap out of it! Talk to us!"

"Dahlia! Calm down! You're not helping!" Violet scolded the younger Warden as she placed a hand on my shoulder to steady me.

"Tria…" Drake mumbled, looking between me and the rich sisters, "What, um, happened?"

"What happened?!" Ruby screamed, her fear giving way to indignant rage once it was clear she was out of danger, "She threatened us, that's what happened! She tried to kill us! Lock her up or something!"

"Tria?" Drake asked again, ignoring the two women. I looked at him, my expression one of agony, and held out my hand in a wordless request. Drake complied, using the device that had alerted him to my imminent loss of control to stop the device's noise, and I sighed.

"Yeah, I was about to attack them." I answered, staring at the floor, "Ruby was upset about losing the gem, we started fighting, and things got a little out of hand."

"A little out of hand?!" Ruby cried again, but stopped when Sapphire placed a hand on her shoulder and stepped forward.

"What did happen, Tria?" she asked, not so much angry as concerned, "What is that thing on your wrist?"

The Wardens looked at each other, the three youngest gathering around me protectively while the two senior members faced the women intimidatingly. I surprised all of the humans present when I stepped up to the blue-haired woman and held out my wrist.

"Recently, I've been having problems controlling my temper, so if I become angry, I am at risk of losing control and attacking whoever or whatever made me angry, along with anything that stands in my way. This device alerts the Wardens when I'm at risk of or about to lose control."

Sapphire stared at me in shock, a look of pained understanding underlying her surprise. Ruby was not so understanding.

"YOU were angry?! What about us?!" she snapped at me, "You're the one who didn't get the gem for us and took control of our vivosaurs without permission!"

"Sister, calm down." Sapphire said, just short of a command.

"That gem is needed as evidence." Violet explained, sounding irritated.

"You can use other fighters' vivosaurs, Tria?" Frett asked, eyes sparkling.

"Sister, let's just go." Sapphire said to the furious woman, "We won the tournament, and that's enough. Let's give Tria her space. We can talk this over when you've both calmed down."

"Oh, please." Ruby growled, glaring at me before turning away and sticking her nose in the air, "Like I need to associate with poor people. Especially poor people with anger issues!" She then marched out of the Stadium with her head held high. Sapphire sighed sadly as she watched her sister leave.

"Wow, what a bitch." Dahlia stated bluntly, her hands on her hips.

"A most unpleasant woman." Prescott sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder comfortingly.

"Well, we don't want to associate with rich snobs, either!" Frett yelled to Ruby's back.

"Especially ones that act like brats." Violet seethed, her wand trembling.

"I am so sorry." Sapphire whispered, making all of the humans turn back to her, "To all of you. I ask you to please accept my deepest and sincerest apologies on my sister's behalf. She isn't usually this nasty; she's just upset about losing the gem." She paused, then addressed me directly, "Tria. I must ask that you find it in your heart to forgive me and my sister. We truly have not been treating you with the respect you deserve."

" ** _Cut her open._** " another voice rose in the back of my throat, " ** _See if she's so special on the inside._** "

" _No!_ " I barked loudly before those words could get out. The humans around me all jumped.

"What was that?!" Sapphire, the only one without a translator, asked nervously.

"She said no." Dahlia stated, her impatient nature not allowing for tact.

"No what, Tria?" Violet asked, seeing the crushing disappointment on Sapphire's face.

" ** _It'd be so easy. She can't even defend herself. She has it coming._** "

" _No!_ " I screamed again, lifting my wings to keep the humans from view, " _No, no, no, no, no!_ "

"Tria?!" Prescott asked me.

"What's wrong?!" Frett cried, unnerved by my freakout.

"T-Tria?" Drake stuttered fearfully. He then got one look at my eyes and his own lit up in sudden understanding.

"I'm sorry, Miss…um…"

"Sapphire." the blue-haired woman supplied, "Sapphire Bling. And my sister, Ruby Bling."

"Ms. Bling." Drake said, nodding slightly, "Please leave. You can talk to Tria later, but she's too…unsettled right now."

"I understand." Sapphire replied, sparing me one last sorrowful glance, "I'm sorry, Tria. I hope you feel better soon."

I looked up at the calmer of the Bling sisters, my eyes pained.

" ** _Die by my claws._** "

" _Shut up!_ " I shrieked, clutching my head in my hands and digging my claws into it.

"Go." Drake ordered Sapphire, who nodded and rushed out after her sister. Drake then turned back to his four subordinates. "Grab her arms! Get them away from her head!"

The Wardens complied, Dahlia and Frett grabbing my left arm and Violet and Prescott grabbing my right. They stared in horror at the blood flowing from the gashes near my temples and at my blood-stained claws, while Drake grabbed both of my arms and knelt in front of me.

"Tria." he addressed me, his tone unusually stern and commanding, "Please talk to us. Tell us what's wrong."

"Drake…" I whimpered, looking directly at the European leader as tears streamed from my eyes, "It's making me say things. I don't know how to stop it. Can you tell me?" I then fell forward, the taller male catching me as the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with me.


	50. At Last, We Meet

The European Wardens were reluctant to let me leave the following morning. I had woken up in the early evening to the worried face of Prescott, who was one of the few European Wardens capable of sitting and waiting. He'd informed me that my episode had been reported, and that Captain Stryker wished to speak to me as soon as I was able. After dinner, which I ate with my European comrades, I was surprised by the appearance of Stryker himself, Little and Elric ever at his side. He usually waited for me to come to him, so his appearance in Fossil Park Europe really drove home just how serious this was getting. I was permitted to stay in Europe to ease the minds of the Wardens there, and I spent the night in Dahlia's room, since she lacked a roommate and had a spare bed.

Back in Fossil Park Asia, which I'd returned to in the morning, I sat on the mechanical dinosaur in the center of the plaza, as I often did when I wanted to bask in the sunlight. Even with my eyes closed, I could still sense a nearby presence, the hidden movements easily recognizable.

"I know you're there, Hanzo." I called to the ninja Warden, "You might as well tell me what you want."

"You're as sharp as ever, Tria!" Hanzo told me as he appeared from a cloud of smoke, "And you have the timing of a fox!"

"Do I?" I asked, opening my eyes and sitting up to look at the masked male, "What's up?"

"I must soon undertake an ancient trial of strength and general wiliness." Hanzo explained to me, "It will be held at a special location that has been passed down by my people for generations. This trial is said to be a match against one's own self, and I would like you to join me there, Tria." He looked at me, his dark eyes hopeful. "Well, then? Does the bold spirit of the jungle cat flow through your veins this day?"

"A match against oneself?" I thought, the words ringing clearly within my mind. Narrowing my eyes in a determined glare, I nodded resolutely. "Of course. I'm not missing this."

"This answer fills me with delight!" Hanzo said happily, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he grinned.

"Glad to help!" I replied, smiling at him. I then perked up as another presence made itself known.

"…Hmm? What's this? I sense something ominous on the wind!" the voice spoke as a familiar twister descended toward us. It landed right in front of us, depositing its passenger before disappearing. The short white hair blew in the leftover gust as the piercing red eyes glared at us.

"Brother!" Hanzo gasped as Sasuke approached us.

"What the hell, Hanzo?!" Sasuke yelled, facing his younger brother threateningly, "You're going to undertake the ancient trial of stealth without your brother?! Maybe I want to level up my stealth skills! Did you ever think of that?"

"But, Brother, your only consideration in this world is material wealth." Hanzo replied, "Training has never been a concern for-"

"Pfft! When you've got THESE mad skills, you don't need to train!" Sasuke declared proudly.

"That so?" I growled sadistically from my place behind the older ninja. Both men jolted in surprise, but one of them was then frozen by the sharp obsidian claws pressed to his throat, "Because I see at least one place that needs improvement."

Sasuke gulped at my intimidating presence, and I caught a huff from Hanzo that was an expertly-hidden laugh. I grinned when Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Anyway, I'm in on this whole stealth-trial thing." he said, glancing nervously at me.

"Excellent." I replied as I released him, "Let's go, then. No time like the present!"

"Right…" Sasuke muttered as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hanzo shook his head as he approached me.

"Nice work, Tria." he praised me, his tone light with brotherly exasperation, "My brother can be quite demanding at times, but he generally means well." He then got back to business. "The trial will take place at the highest point in Autumn Garden. I will meet you there. Ninja…SMOKE!" And with that last command, he disappeared just as his brother had.

"The highest point in Autumn Garden?" I muttered to myself before my eyes widened, "Uh oh. I'd better warn Kowloon." I then sped through the portal, soaring over the dig site locked in perpetual sunrise, and reached the sheltered clearing where Kowloon lived before either of the ninjas.

"Alpha?" Kowloon asked in surprise when he saw me, "What are you doing here?"

"Came to give you a heads-up." I replied, panting slightly, "Hanzo and his brother Sasuke are coming here to take part in some ancient trial. They aren't after you, and I'll be here, so you don't need to worry, but I thought I should still warn you so they don't take you by surprise."

"An ancient trial?" Kowloon asked, sounding vaguely annoyed at the thought of the ninjas intruding, "What kind of ancient trial?"

"Something about a match against oneself." I replied as I saw the orange Turf Shredder and the black-and-white Speed Demon approaching, "An intriguing concept, don't you think?"

"Thank you for coming, Tria." Hanzo greeted me as he and Sasuke exited their Bone Buggies and walked up to us. He then tensed when he saw the male standing next to me before nodding curtly. "Kowloon."

"Hanzo." Kowloon greeted in turn.

"So YOU'RE Kowloon." Sasuke said, eyeing the other man curiously, "Hanzo's told me quite a bit about you. What are you doing here?"

"I live here." Kowloon replied, sounding slightly indignant.

"This is the site of the ancient trial of stealth." Hanzo informed Kowloon, his tone an indirect warning, "Please do not interfere."

"No worries there." Kowloon snorted dismissively, "I have no interest in this 'ancient trial' of yours."

"I've already told Kowloon why we're here." I added, patting my packmate's arm, "As long as we don't bother him, he won't bother us." I glanced up at the tall male expectantly. "Right, Kowloon?"

"Of course, Alpha." Kowloon replied, returning to the entrance of the sheltered clearing before sitting on the ground, "I will watch, though, since you are involved, if I may."

"Of course." I replied before either of the ninjas could protest, "Now, begin the trial."

"You're taking the trial too, Tria?" Sasuke asked, confused.

"She's not, but she's still here. I guess that's what he means." Hanzo replied, addressing all of us with his next words, "This is the site of the ancient trial of stealth. I wish I could tell you more about what is coming, but this trial is an enigma to all who have yet to undertake it."

"Mystery, enigma, blah blah blah." Sasuke yelled impatiently, "Let's go kick some butt already!"

Hanzo rolled his eyes before putting his hands together and humming, "Ohm…ohm…oooooooooooohhhhmmm…" He then lifted his head to the shy and called out, "O mighty ancestors of the Iga-Iga ninja arts! Show us your trial!"

As soon as he said those words, dark storm clouds gathered around the dig site. Lightning flashed violently and the thunder shook the ground. Kowloon jumped to his feet at the threatening presence, Hanzo and Sasuke took their battle stances, and my wings extended in instinctive counter-intimidation. From the swirling clouds looming overhead, their weight oppressive, a collective voice boomed.

" **You have come.** "

"Huh?" Sasuke gasped, looking around nervously, "Wait-is this our ancestors?! I just heard a creepy voice."

" **If it is a trial you seek, it shall be granted unto you.** " the voice of the ancestors continued, ignoring Sasuke's comment, " **You will fight your own shadows…all three of you!** "

"What?!" Kowloon exclaimed, tensing as he prepared to defend me from Hanzo and Sasuke's ancestors.

"Tria's not here to take the trial!" Hanzo called to them, confused and frightened.

"Um, hey there. Spooky voice?" Sasuke addressed his ancestors, his casual attitude unaffected by their power, "Yeah, Tria just came to cheer on my brother, so maybe a trial isn't necessa-"

" **Silence!** " the voice boomed, the plateau shaking violently with that word, " **This one needs to be tested more than any of you!** "

"Correct!" I called out before anyone could argue. Although my voice could be heard by all, I only addressed the ancestors. "I came here with the full intention of taking part in this trial. I know that I am not a ninja, nor am I one of your descendants, but I greatly appreciate this opportunity and will put all the strength I have into clearing it!"

" **Well said, youngling!** " the booming voice agreed, sounding pleased in its own right. A swirling vortex then descended from the clouds, swallowing me, Hanzo, and Sasuke. Through the swirling clouds, I saw Kowloon's fearful gaze.

" _Worry not, Kowloon._ " I told him gently, " _I shall return soon. Wait here for me._ "

" _Always, Alpha._ " Kowloon affirmed before backing away from the vortex. Then we were gone from the plateau, the world spinning and fading as we were brought to the true sites of our trials. From the darkness in my vision, I heard the voice I'd been waiting for.

" ** _At last, we meet._** "


	51. Face-to-Face

I walked through the forest I'd been brought to, looking around warily. Massive trees towered over me, their sizes comparable to those in ancient times. However, the trees were barren, stripped of any vegetation by the sickening mist that blanketed the world I had entered, their bark a ghostly white. The sky was a pale shade of purple, and the eerie light it gave off held no warmth. I stepped carefully on the light gray ground, my feet not even leaving tracks in the lifeless soil, as I looked for the entity I'd come here to face.

" ** _At last, we meet._** " the familiar voice echoed through the dead forest, and I turned toward its source.

Approaching me from the shadows, I saw a mirror image of myself. Or rather, I saw a corrupted image of myself. Her scales were pitch black, contrary to my sparkling white, her hair and wings were dark purple, and her eyes, claws, and stripes under her eyes were red, giving her a threatening appearance. She grinned at me viciously, the bright white iris seeming to glow with bloodlust.

" ** _I've been waiting for you, Tria._** " the dark energy said to me, her purple-tipped tail thrashing about excitedly, " ** _We have a lot to discuss._** "

" _Indeed we do, Dark Tria._ " I growled, narrowing my eyes at the dark personification as she snorted.

" ** _Dark Tria?_** " she snarled, shaking her head, " ** _I don't like that. Makes me sound like a discount you. Not nice._** "

" _You are a discount me._ " I barked back, " _You are dark energy that has copied my form._ "

" ** _Wrong._** " she sang, wiggling a finger at me, " ** _I am a part of you, the part you tried to hide. I'm the side of you you've been rejecting for so long, but I am as much you as you are. I was here even before the dark energy entered you._** "

" _I've built a life for myself._ " I hissed viciously, " _I have friends, family, and a pack. You're trying to destroy it._ "

" ** _I'm trying to make a place for myself._** " Dark Tria replied, " ** _You didn't give me one. You just took it all for yourself. You're so greedy, Tria. For shame._** "

" _I protect my friends._ " I snarled, " _You're too dangerous. You would've gotten me killed as well._ "

" ** _I protect us._** " the dark energy argued, glaring at me, " ** _You always rolled over for everyone, but I stood up for us. I'm the reason you're so strong! You're just a weakling!_** "

" _A weakling, am I?!_ " I roared, infuriated, as I took my battle form, " _We'll see about that!_ "

" ** _Temper, temper._** " Dark Tria chided as she did the same, " ** _And you say I'm the dangerous one._** "

We then lunged at each other, teeth and claws bared. We collided again and again, and as we locked our talons, snapping at each other, Dark Tria snarled again.

" ** _You're kept me locked up for far too long!_** " she told me, " ** _It's my turn to live! Your time is finished!_** "

" _My time will end when I am no longer needed!_ " I roared back, sinking my teeth into her shoulder, " _I will not die before then!_ "

" ** _Your time ended over five months ago!_** " the dark energy argued, her back claws raking down my stomach, " ** _That should've been my time!_** "

" _You tried to kill my friends!_ " I growled as I tore into her shoulder before we separated.

" ** _And they killed me!_** " the corrupted image of me shrieked back, " ** _They killed me! They interfered with me! If they won't let me live, why should they?!_** "

" _They killed you because you tried to kill them! They were defending themselves!_ " I roared as we collided again. My own back claws brutally slashed her hind leg, and she bit into my left arm.

" ** _No…_** " Dark Tria snarled, tearing through the muscle, skin, and scales of my arm before leaping into the pale sky, leaving my gashes in my neck and flanks as she launched herself from where she'd been grappling with me. I followed her. " ** _They killed me because I wasn't you. The you they knew. They thought that if you weren't able to live, neither should I! How is that fair?!_** "

" _You're wrong!_ " I barked back, " _They killed you because you're too dangerous! You can't be reasoned with, you are hard to stop, and you have no sense of control! You're too dangerous to be allowed to live freely!_ "

" ** _They say the same thing about that precious packmate you left on the plateau._** " Dark Tria snarled as we circled each other, " ** _Yet you defend him._** "

" _Kowloon is loyal to me, his alpha._ " I replied, " _I offer him the control he needs. You are controlled by nothing!_ "

" ** _Neither are you!_** " Dark Tria roared, diving into me and sending us into a spin, " ** _Even without my power, you are too strong for them to control! Who controls you?!_** "

" _I control me!_ " I replied as I latched my claws into the back of her neck, " _I know my limits! I have compassion! I actually CARE about those around me!_ "

" ** _But not about what's inside!_** " Dark Tria bellowed in rage. She tore violently into my wings and bit my shoulder, just as I had done with her. " ** _You put so much effort into the happiness of others that you sacrifice your own! You think you're so good in your self-sacrificing, but who do you think that hurts?!_** "

" _I'd rather hurt than let my friends hurt!_ " I roared as I bit down on and crushed the wrist joint of her left wing. We both crashed through the tree limbs and hit the ashy soil hard. " _I'm not selfish like you!_ "

" ** _You really don't get it, do you?_** " Dark Tria panted as she struggled to her feet and I did the same, " ** _You hurting_** ** _does_** ** _hurt your friends! If you took care of yourself, they wouldn't worry about you so much!_** "

" _And if I didn't keep losing control to you, they wouldn't fear me!_ " I barked, flexing my claws, " _You are the plague that's been eating away at me and everyone around me. You are the cause of that hurt!_ "

" ** _Have you not been listening to a word I said?!_** " Dark Tria snarled resentfully, " ** _I am a part of you! I am the side you hid away! The dark energy may have given me the power to emerge, but I've always been here! You never learned to control my power, but whose fault is that?! I'm you! I'm the you you can't control! I was not injected or ingested from an outside source! I am not a curse! I am not a plague! I am YOU!_** "

" _You are nothing!_ " I screamed, extending my torn wings, " _I have lived my entire life without you; I don't need you now!_ "

" ** _You're lying to yourself!_** " Dark Tria roared as she spread her own broken wings and gestured to the battlefield around us, " ** _Look at us. Throughout this fight, neither one of us has used a single skill. We've been canceling out each other's energies!_** " She then lunged at me again, calling smugly, " ** _Don't you see? We are the same! We are EQUALS!_** "

" _Not quite._ " I snarled, smirking as my scales began to glow, " _It would seem I still hold an advantage here._ "

Dark Tria's red eyes widened before she had to shield them with her intact right wing. I took advantage of the opening and darted forward, the rapid series of attacks signature of my Blinding Strike bringing my opponent to the ground again. And this time, she didn't get back up.

" ** _…Heh. I didn't see that coming._** " Dark Tria growled as she looked up at me, " ** _You win this round, Tria. But this isn't the end. Rest assured, I will not stop fighting, not until I can see the light of day. I will live; that is my right._** "

" _A plague does not have the right to kill._ " I snarled back as a vortex formed amid the dark clouds gathering in the pale sky, " _I won't lose to you, Dark Tria._ "

" ** _Call me Dart._** " my corrupted image said suddenly, " ** _If you're going to insist on seeing me as separate, the least you can do it let me have my own name._** "

" _Why 'Dart'?_ " I asked, irritation lessening my tolerance. Dart grinned at me from her place on the ground.

" ** _Because I am DAR-k T-ria!_** " she explained before she burst out laughing. I narrowed my eyes at the hysterical dark dinaurian before snorting and walking under the vortex. From behind me, I heard her call, " ** _Remember, Tria! You haven't heard the last of me!_** "

I glared at the dark image of me as she reverted back to her half-dinaurian form and disappeared into the shadows of the ghostly forest. I returned to my true form as well and allowed the ancestors of the Iga-Iga arts to take me back to my friends on the plateau in Autumn Garden, blood loss from my wounds finally overcoming me as I lost consciousness during the rise.

"Cripes! I thought that would never end!" Sasuke sighed as he was deposited back on the plateau in front of his Speed Demon.

"It truly was a strange experience." Hanzo agreed as he appeared beside his brother.

"I wasn't sure what the trial would be like, but I sure wasn't expecting THAT!" Sasuke elaborated, rubbing his sore arms, "That other me didn't pull punches."

"That must be why the ancestors have you face yourself." Hanzo said, more to himself than to his brother, "In order to become a master ninja, one has to overcome one's own limits."

"Where is she?" a vicious snarl was heard from a rock on the edge of the plateau. The two ninjas turning to look at Kowloon, who was looking up at the disappearing vortex before glaring at them, "Where is my alpha? Where is Tria?"

"How the heck should we know?" Sasuke snapped back, irritated, "We were all taken to different places. We don't know what happened to her."

"I'm sure Tria is fine." Hanzo stated confidently, "She's strong. She won't fall easily."

"But if she's so strong." Sasuke wondered out loud, "Won't her shadow be strong, too? I wouldn't wanna face it."

"But you're not Tria." Hanzo growled at his tactless brother, "Tria's stronger than we are, so she can take on a stronger shadow."

"But the spooky voice said she needed to do the trial more than we did." Sasuke continued, "Wonder why. She isn't even a ninja."

"Her shadow…" Kowloon muttered worriedly, "Could it be…"

Suddenly, the vortex appeared again, darkening rapidly and thundering with power. Soon after, the three men saw a figure falling from the center of the swirling clouds, speeding toward the ground without any sign of slowing. Kowloon's eye widened in terror.

"Alpha!" he screamed as he leapt from his perch. He caught the half-dinaurian he'd pledged his loyalty to, landing softly in front of the frightened ninjas to avoid jarring the wounded girl. She was bleeding badly, deep wounds on her neck, sides, stomach, shoulder, and left arm coating Kowloon's front and the ground beneath her in crimson, and her eyes were closed. Ragged tears in her wings added to her broken appearance.

"Tria?!" Hanzo cried as he stared wide-eyed at his comrade, "What happened?!"

"Did she fail the trial?!" Sasuke gasped, unable to believe the concept, "Was her shadow really that strong?!"

A sudden flash of lightning startled the group. The three humans looked up at the swirling clouds as the voice of the ancestors boomed.

" **All of you fought bravely. Your ancestors, creators of the Iga-Iga, now recognize you all as master ninjas.** "

"All of us?" Hanzo asked hopefully as he glanced at Tria, who was still bleeding on her packmate.

"So Tria did pass the trial?" Sasuke asked, now really confused.

The clouds shifted slightly, like the turning of a head, and the voice of the ancestors spoke again, this time addressing a specific individual.

" **Young half-dinaurian. You have won this battle, but you have yet to win the war. As long as this enemy remains within you, it will continue to return, and, soon, it will destroy you. Hear us now, young one. This enemy must be no more, or it will be you who is so. Remember this.** "

"I will." a weak voice spoke up from Kowloon's arms. The three humans looked down in surprise to see Tria's eyes open. The bright metallic gleam they normally held was clouded, the pale dullness alarming. She looked up at the swirling clouds and smiled. "Thank you."

" **This fight isn't over.** " the ancestors told her, " **Find the balance you need to dispel this enemy from your midst.** " The clouds then dispersed, the voices fading as they chanted, " **Farewell. Farewell. Fareweeeeell…..** "

"Heard and…understood…" Tria replied, her voice trailing off in a sigh as her head fell against Kowloon's chest again.

"This is bad…" Kowloon growled, already locating his Turf Shredder with his visible eye, "Tria needs help!"

"Come with me, Kowloon!" Hanzo ordered, looking at the dangerous man seriously, "You remember how we descended upon you when you'd escaped the Parsec Cup. I can get us to the Fossil Park more quickly. Hurry!"

He then rushed into his orange Turf Shredder, Kowloon following without hesitation when he felt how slick with blood his hands had become. From his Turf Shredder, Hanzo ordered his brother to warn the Fossil Parks of the Commander's condition, and as they flew through the air, Kowloon sat in the passenger seat and spoke softly to his alpha.

" _Don't worry, Alpha._ " he purred, drawing Hanzo's attention, " _You will be back home soon. Your friends there will help you._ "

Tria opened her eyes, glancing around at the Bone Buggy's interior and driver, before looking up at her packmate and smiling.

" _Kowloon._ " she whispered, her tone affectionate, " _You're riding with a Warden. I'm so proud…_ "

She then lost consciousness again as Kowloon turned a shade of pink. Hanzo snorted with laughter, and Kowloon glared at him in embarrassment. Once they reached Fossil Park Asia, the stretcher and medical units already prepared, Kowloon handed his alpha over to the Wardens, and she was rushed into the hospital unit in the Fossil Center under the worried gazes of the Wardens and civilians gathered there.


	52. Just a Matter of Time

The Wardens had gathered in Fossil Park Asia, hanging around the lobby as they waited anxiously for the news of Tria's condition. Not just the Wardens, but several others who were close to Tria were there as well. The murmurs were fearful, some containing sobs, but they were quiet, subdued by the situation before them.

Kowloon stood right next to the door, frightening in his hostility to all who didn't know him, especially with his kimono still covered in his alpha's blood. Olga stood next to him, attempting to comfort the distressed male. Nibbles stood nearby as well, whimpering fearfully at the smell of his friend's blood. Penny was kneeling next to him, more comfortable around Kowloon than most, with tears in her eyes. Nate was trembling violently, and Roland was sobbing with the memories of the Warden Test and the wounds Tria had suffered then. Mei Lian stood next to her roommate, eyeing Kowloon warily when she wasn't fighting back her own tears. Becky was standing with her brother, her face pained and her eyes clouded. Sean was kneading his sister's shoulder, trying to give her what comfort and confidence he could. Daisy sat on a bench next to her seniors, staring at the floor in shock. Leon sat next to Daisy, Lucky huddled against the nervous male's side as he sobbed. Dahlia paced around the lobby, her uneasy energy forcing her to move even as she sent an occasional glare toward another woman standing against the far wall of the lobby. That woman, Sapphire Bling, stood separate from the Wardens, not feeling too welcome among them. Violet stood next to her leader, staring into the gem on her wand that was connected to the Crystal Ball +1, Drake himself fidgeting as his eyes flitted around the room. Frett and Prescott stood near one another, as usual, Frett walking around his partner while Prescott watched him with a tearful gaze. Liu Ren stood nearer to the door leading into the hospital room, watching the unsettled Wardens while Yamamoto trembled next to him. Professor Little stood next to Elric, gripping his hand tightly, as the older male listened closely to the ninjas' report to the Captain.

"…So you two took a trial to become master ninjas, brought Tria along, and somehow she got involved and was injured." the Captain surmised as Hanzo and Sasuke stood before him, "Is that it?"

"Yes, Captain." Hanzo affirmed, not meeting the taller man's eyes, "I had not intended for her to take the trial, too, and I am ashamed that she was hurt this badly."

"Don't blame yourself, Brother." Sasuke said, gripping Hanzo's shoulder in support, "Tria said herself that she intended to take the trial, and the spooky voice said that she needed to be tested. We didn't know what the trial was gonna be like; you couldn't have known her shadow would be so strong."

"Her shadow?" Elric asked, the older ninja's words striking a cord in him. Beside him, Professor Little whimpered in dread.

"That was the trial." Hanzo explained, "We faced off against our own shadows. We had to overcome ourselves. That was the only part of the trial we actually knew about beforehand."

"Did Tria know about that?" Captain Stryker asked.

"Yes. I told her." Hanzo replied.

"Come to think of it…" Sasuke mumbled, "She actually seemed to perk up when you mentioned that. Like she'd been waiting for it or something."

"Like she'd been waiting for it…?" Elric whispered to himself as he looked toward the hospital door.

"What did Tria's shadow look like?" the Captain asked.

"Dunno." Sasuke replied, shrugging.

"We could not see each other's trials." Hanzo elaborated, "We were taken to different areas, and we fought our shadows alone."

"Alone, huh?" the Captain muttered, looking at the hospital door as he cradled his chin in his hand with a thoughtful look on his face, "And you said your ancestors claimed she needed to be tested?"

"Yeah. More than we did." Sasuke replied, "No idea what that meant."

"Actually…" Hanzo muttered, hesitant, and, when the Captain looked at him expectantly, he continued, "The ancestors addressed Tria directly after she had completed her trial. She managed to listen and respond, though, with her injuries, I cannot fathom how."

"Did you hear what they said?" Elric asked, his tone gaining a slight urgency.

"Kinda hard not to." Sasuke mumbled with a slight shudder.

"They told her that she had won the battle, but not the war." Hanzo reported, gulping before adding in a quieter tone, "And that, if she does not destroy the enemy within her soon, it will destroy her."

"The enemy within her?" the Captain repeated, sharing uneasy glances with the Professor and emissary, "Did they say what that meant?"

Hanzo shook his head, disappointed.

"Tria knew, though." Sasuke said, crossing his arms, "'Heard and understood.' Her exact words."

"This is quite troubling." the Captain growled, glaring at the floor as he thought. He then looked up, as did everyone else, when the hospital door opened and one of the doctors stepped out.

"Doctor! How is Tria?!"

"Is she all right?!"

"She's not dead, is she?!"

"Shut up! Of course she's not dead!"

"Silence!" Captain Stryker bellowed, quieting the frantic voices before approaching the overwhelmed doctor, "Well?"

"Commander Tria's condition is stable." the doctor replied, the group around him visibly relaxing, "Her injuries are serious, but all external. She managed to avoid any internal wounds, none of her bones are broken, and, because she was gotten here so quickly, her blood loss was minimal. She needs to take it easy for a while, but she'll make a full recovery."

The gathered humans all smiled and started chatting among themselves. Penny approached the doctor hesitantly.

"When we can see Tria?" she asked hopefully.

"Tria's resting right now." the doctor replied, "We'll let you know how she's doing tomorrow, and if she's well enough, you may visit her."

Penny sighed, slightly disappointed, before returning to her Asian comrades. Becky, Sean, and Daisy all exchanged glances with one another, their urgency painful. Sapphire stared at the floor, her own expression conflicted and unsure. Kowloon growled, and Olga put an arm around his shoulders in a consolatory gesture. As the Captain started trying to calm the Wardens enough for them to return to their Fossil Parks, the Professor following closely, Elric was called over by the doctor.

"Elric?" the doctor asked for confirmation, and when the silver male nodded, the doctor continued, "Tria was asking for you. If you'll come with me."

"Of course." Elric replied, following the doctor into the hospital room after exchanging a glance with Kowloon, Olga, and Nibbles. He gave them a reassuring nod, and they collectively returned it. At a whisper from the doctor, Elric nodded again. "Nibbles. With us."

Nibbles perked up and, after looking at the humans around him, hurried after the Captain's emissary. The door then closed, leaving the rest of the Wardens and visitors uneasy. Elric picked Nibbles up when the vivosaur whined pitifully and carried him into the room where their friend was resting. Both males cringed at the sight before them.

Tria lay in the hospital bed, different from the one she usually used, with bandages covering her left arm in an image reminiscent of when she'd been attacked by Gorgo during the Warden Test. Her right shoulder was also bandaged, as were her sides and neck. Her wings were stitched up in several places from the tears in the membrane, thin pads keeping the stitched areas covered on both sides. Her eyes were closed, but she knew they were there, and she turned her head slightly toward them in acknowledgement.

"How are you feeling, Tria?" Elric asked as he set Nibbles down gently on the bed, the little vivosaur treading softly to avoid moving the bed or its resident too much as he nuzzled her right hand.

"Tired." the girl croaked, lifting her hand to stroke the vivosaur's muzzle, "Yet I am more at ease, now that I've had a chance to face it in person."

"So that was what you were facing." Elric said, glaring at his friend accusingly, "I was wondering why you'd insist on taking the trial of Hanzo and Sasuke's ancestors." When Tria nodded, her eyes still closed, Elric approached her. "You should've at least let us know of your plan so we'd be ready."

"If I had informed you of my plan, you wouldn't have let me go through with it." Tria replied, opening her dull golden eyes to regard her friend with a knowing look, her gray iris focusing on him, "Besides, none of you could've helped me. This is an enemy I must face alone."

"Alone…" Elric muttered, his voice sorrowful as he sat on the chair next to Tria's bed.

" _You are never alone!_ " Nibbles told her, nuzzling her with gentle urgency, " _We are all here for you!_ "

"Just because we can't fight with you, that does not mean you have to fight alone." Elric informed her as he gripped her hand and Nibbles curled up against her side, "We support you, and we always will. You may be alone on that battlefield where we can't follow, but we still give you strength, and you carry that with you, always."

"Do I?" Tria asked, looking at Elric tiredly. She then looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "That would explain it, then. I was wondering where that power came from."

"Power?" Elric asked as Nibbles looked at her curiously, "What power?"

"When I was fighting Dart, she commented on how our powers were canceling each other out." Tria explained, "But I was able to summon Blinding Strike and defeat her. I was wondering how I was able to do that."

"Who's Dart?" Elric asked the half-dinaurian warily.

"It's what the dark side of me insists on being called." Tria replied, "She told me that she's always been within me; the dark energy just gave her the strength to emerge."

"And you believe her?!" Elric hissed, struggling to keep his voice at a reasonable volume.

"She makes sense, Elric." Tria replied easily, her calm tone troubling, "She is the power I can't control, the part of me that's been suppressed for years. She wasn't allowed a chance to live."

"How do you know that's not just the dark energy trying to trick you?" Elric asked, "How do you know what this 'Dart' says is true?"

"Think, Elric." Tria snapped, glaring weakly at him, "I've been trained to be a saint. To keep from slaughtering ignorant masses when they threaten and attack me, to be 'good' enough to be the container for the dark energy, to be the caring and compassionate protector of those around me. All of these requirements have forced me to be perfect, an angel. But I'm not perfect, Elric. Anger, hatred, sorrow, fear, all of these feelings exist within me. I make mistakes, I get angry, lose patience, get tired. I have been forced to hide these feelings, for the good of those around me, my entire life, and I thought that was what I was supposed to do, but then Dart said something that struck me."

" _What?_ " Nibbles asked, the girl's words disturbing him, " _What did she say?_ "

"I told her that I care about everyone around me, and she told me that I don't care about what's within me." Tria explained, looking at both of the males around her, "In other words, I've spent so long looking after the needs of others, that I don't take care of myself. That's what Dart says her purpose is. I take care of those around me, and she takes care of me, but she's been suppressed for so long that 'taking care of me', in her opinion, requires the destruction of the life I've created, the one that does not consider my well-being."

"And you're going to let her do that?!" Elric cried, choking in an attempt to avoid shouting.

"Of course not, Elric." Tria growled, rolling her eyes, "But it shows the truth in her words. Can you deny the words I have relayed to you?"

Elric glared at the sheets of the bed, gripping the girl's hand harder than intended. Tria said nothing in response, and Nibbles' eyes shifted anxiously between the two.

"…So, what?" Elric snarled resentfully, "You have to choose between yourself and your friends?"

"I shouldn't have to." Tria replied, "But the situation has become extreme enough that I might. Dart's not giving up until she can live, which she can only do be suppressing me. We've become so separate that we cannot exist simultaneously in this world. If one lives, the other must be fully suppressed, or we are locked in a constant internal struggle that will eventually destroy us both. That is where we stand, and we must operate with that in mind."

Nibbles whined as he buried his nose in her neck, his distress clear. Elric pressed his friend's hand to his face, his sigh turning into a sob when a clawed finger wiped a tear from his eye.

"What did you ever do to deserve this?" he asked in despair.

"According to Dart, I've been trying so hard to appease others that I don't take care of myself." Tria answered, her voice disturbingly apathetic, "And, because of that, the life I have built for myself doesn't allow my own well-being."

"But you do take care of yourself!" Elric argued, "You're a survivor! You're better at surviving than any of the humans and many of the vivosaurs!"

"Until the lives of others come into the picture." Tria shot back, "Then I put them first, often at the cost of my own well-being. In fact, that was my entire reason for coming here in the first place, remember?"

"I try not to, actually." Elric muttered as Nibbles whimpered in agreement. Tria sighed.

"This internal struggle is already taking its toll." she told them, "The physical strain on myself and others, the fear, distrust, and worry regarding me, even this thing." She held up her left wrist, the dark-energy detector still there despite the bandages. "All of this is a result of the internal struggle between me and my dark side, powered by the dark energy. And it's getting worse. Ever since I lost control, and especially after the Warden Test, her voice has been leaving my throat, her desires driving my actions, and her thoughts dominating my mind. This isn't something that'll go away with a little hard work and good will."

" _But we can't just sit back and watch you die! Not again!_ " Nibbles whined desperately, tears entering his green gaze as he nuzzled Tria's neck, careful of her injuries.

"Nibbles is right." Elric agreed seriously as he stared at the clawed hand he held, "There must be something we can do to stop this dark energy from taking over."

"Dart." Tria corrected, "That entity has chosen the name 'Dart'. She existed long before I ingested the dark energy."

"But she got the strength to take over your body from the dark energy." Elric muttered.

Nibbles looked between the human and half-human thoughtfully before mentioning hesitantly, " _Can you discard it like I did, Tria?_ "

"And do what with it?" Tria mumbled, "My purpose is to contain it. Discarding it would put others at risk."

"And it wouldn't save you either." Elric added, "As long as the dark energy exists, you'll be subjected to its influence."

The three stay there for a while, thinking. Just as Tria was starting to fall asleep from the strain of her injuries, a slight noise from Elric made her open her eyes again.

"Tria…" he just about hummed, looking at her, "You said you were able to use the light energy from us to defeat Dart this time. Does that mean that more light energy would give you a better chance of suppressing her?"

"…I suppose…" Tria replied after a few moments, "It wouldn't be a permanent solution, though. It would just be delaying the inevitable."

"But delaying it might buy us time to figure out a permanent solution." Elric argued, running his thumb over the back of Tria's hand, "It's better than doing nothing."

Tria looked between the two males, their eyes determined, and, after a few seconds, she closed her own tired eyes and sighed, long and heavy.

"…Very well." she said after a few seconds, "Do what you must to gather the light energy. It will have to be a constant endeavor, but if you think it'll help, go for it."

"Thanks, Tria." Elric said, pressing his forehead against the girl's hand again. Nibbles licked her face happily. "We're always here for you. Never forget that."

"Hard to, with how much you remind me." Tria mumbled, her eyes still closed, but she curled her fingers around her friend's in a companionable gesture before turning to nuzzle Nibbles' muzzle.

"I remind you because it's true." Elric told her before standing up, "You're tired, Tria. I'll leave you to rest." At the whimper from Nibbles, the silver-haired male smiled. "Mind if Nibbles stays here with you?"

"Not at all." Tria replied, hugging the little vivosaur to her side as he purred happily. Elric turned to leave, but paused when Tria opened her eyes and looked at him again. "Tell Kowloon to stay with Olga. Her room is close by and has an unoccupied bed, so he can remain near me in case he needs to reach me quickly. They also could do with each other's company, after a day like today."

Elric's smile widened. "Of course."

"Also." Tria spoke up again, "See that Sapphire has a place here to stay if she wants to. I know she came here to speak with me."

That made Elric flinch, and he turned to look at Tria directly. "Are you sure that's wise, Tria?" He didn't even ask how she knew the calmer of the Bling sisters was there in the first place.

"Of course." Tria replied firmly, "Sapphire wasn't the one who set me off. She came to apologize for her sister; it would be rude to not hear her out."

"…All right, Tria. I'll trust your judgement on this one." Elric agreed reluctantly, before turning around again, "Get some rest, my friend. I'll see you in the morning. Look after her, Nibbles."

" _Will do._ " Nibbles growled as he snuggled closer to his companion. Elric smiled and nodded before finally heading back into the lobby to report to his fellow Wardens and complete the tasks the Commander had given him. As Tria settled back down again, Nibbles growled gently to her.

" _Are you sure you're okay, Tria?_ " he asked the half-dinaurian.

" _For now, Nibbles._ " Tria replied, stroking the little vivosaur's head comfortingly, " _I won't lie to you. I'm in a precarious situation. The darker side of me, Dart, is eating away at me, the dark energy combating the light that I rely on. For now, I'm still stronger, but that's mainly because I've been experiencing more positivity lately. If the Warden Test hadn't gone as well as it had, Dart may have been able to defeat me. I'm performing a dangerous balancing act, Nibbles, and if I fall, I won't be able to get back up again._ "

" _Don't worry, Tria._ " Nibbles told the girl, making her look at him, " _You didn't let me fall, so I won't let you fall either._ "

Tria smiled at her vivosaur companion, the confidence in his voice bringing some light back into her eyes. She hugged the smaller creature to her chest as they both drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the day and lulled by each other's presence.


	53. Forgiveness

I was able to move around more easily the next morning, though my wounds were still a major hindrance. Dart hadn't held anything back, but neither had I. Nibbles refused to leave my side, as did Kowloon, once he was allowed into my room. Olga stayed with us for a little while, having followed Kowloon, before leaving to meet her comrades for breakfast. The rest of the Asian Wardens wanted to visit, too, but the doctors insisted that I be allowed to rest for a while longer, though none of them had the guts to try to remove Kowloon. He just sat on the floor next to my bed, only speaking when spoken to, but he grabbed my hand when I held it down for him. Nibbles lay his head on my lap, he and Kowloon watching over me while I rested. They also served as a warning system, alerting me to the appearance of my next visitor.

"Good morning, Tria, Nibbles." Becky greeted me and Nibbles, before a feral snarl drew her attention to the floor, "Kowloon."

"Good morning, Becky." I greeted the American Warden, "What brings you here?"

The woman flinched, her blue eyes widening. "What do you mean, Tria?"

"The doctors haven't allowed me many visitors." I explained, glancing down at Kowloon, "They couldn't make Kowloon leave, and Olga was only allowed to visit when she followed him, but other than them and Nibbles, no one has been allowed in here. Since they let you in, you must have a reason for your visit, one beyond merely checking on me."

"…That doesn't mean I'm not also here to see how you're doing, ya know." Becky mumbled, her voice quiet with guilt. When I just continued to watch her, she sighed, "But you're right. I did come here for another reason."

"All right." I said, sitting up more, "What is it?"

Becky looked at the floor, gulping as her eyes clouded. She then sighed before looking at me again.

"I just…wanted to apologize. For what I said back at the Stadium." she said sincerely, "I didn't mean to insult you. I was just…surprised, I guess." She looked around, as if groping for what to say next, then flinched more visibly when she saw the vivosaur and human-vivosaur looking at her, the vivosaur curious and the human-vivosaur just short of angry.

"I understand, Becky." I said gently to the nervous woman, "Humans are known for their pride, and your laws reflect that pride. When someone breaks your rules, you view it as a personal insult, a wound to your pride. I shouldn't have snapped at you for defending the rules you're duty-bound to protect."

Kowloon snarled, his experience with human laws a testimony to my words. I held my hand down to him so he could grip it, the reminder of my presence comforting him. Becky looked at me thoughtfully, and Nibbles tilted his head as he also pondered my words.

"Our laws reflect our pride?" the American woman repeated to herself, "I never thought of it like that." She then looked at me curiously. "Would a dinaurian not have had a problem with you helping Daisy cheat?"

"A dinaurian wouldn't have viewed it as cheating." I replied, "The word doesn't exist in dinaurian language. We didn't have a concept for it until our culture mixed with the humans'. The thought of 'cheating' in sparring sessions doesn't occur, since a mismatched set of opponents is no fun, not to mention useless, and the underhanded tricks most humans consider 'cheating' would've just been considered by dinaurians as using our wits to overcome a stronger opponent. They're survival strategies, and are therefore favored by the dinaurian half of my species. We don't have the 'do-it-right-or-die' mentality that humans call 'honor'. Helping a young one succeed, especially a young one with valuable skills, is seen as a wise course of action, especially when the thing keeping the young one from succeeding is not a valid judgement of his or her worthiness for the place he or she is trying to attain."

Becky pondered my words, her expression thoughtful, while Kowloon nodded in approval. The American Warden then looked at me again with a quirked eyebrow.

"You said you're a cheater too, Tria. What did you mean by that?" she asked me, "I've never seen you cheat."

"Yes you have." I replied, narrowing my eyes at the Warden, "I commanded all of the Warden vivosaurs to gang up on Giganto during the Angel's Cup, remember? And even before then…" I chuckled tiredly and shook my head. "Dahlia had trouble believing me when I told her this, but my body is lightly-built, and, thus, is vulnerable to damage from hard hits. I don't have the same size defense of many vivosaurs. Nibbles was shocked when I explained this to him, but before I was strong enough to begin my mission here, I had to use techniques most humans consider 'dishonorable' to survive. When I fight head-on, this happens." I gestured to myself with the hand Kowloon wasn't holding, spreading my healing wings slightly to show the pads covering the stitches. "I cheat to survive, I'm not ashamed of it, and I have no desire to change my ways. I will follow your laws most of the time, but if the consequences of doing so are not desirable to me, I will not hesitate to break them. As you have seen." I held up Kowloon's hand for emphasis, and his grip tightened. "Please remember this, Becky."

"I don't know how I could ever forget it." Becky muttered, her eyes deep in thought. She was then jolted from her thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Excuse me, Commander." one of the doctors addressed me as he stood in the doorway, "There's another woman here who won't leave until she speaks with you. Claims it's urgent."

"Ah, yes. I've been expecting her." I replied, recognizing the scent of expensive perfume immediately. Nibbles snorted and Kowloon wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Becky, is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

Becky shook her head, still somewhat-distracted. "N-No. Nothing else. Just wanted to see how you were doing." she stuttered, smiling at me, "Please get better soon, Tria. Leon's moodiness is unbearable."

"I'll try." I laughed, finally getting a grin out of the other woman, "We wouldn't want Leon's moodiness to rub off on Lucky."

"Definitely not!" Becky laughed to, walking out of the hospital room. I then heard her smile fall as she muttered to herself, "But first, I have to talk to Sean."

"You do that." I replied just as quietly as my other visitor hesitantly entered the room. The blue-haired woman flinched visibly and cowered against the wall when Kowloon suddenly stood up and took an aggressive stance, Nibbles mimicking him as they both snarled at her.

"Settle down. Both of you." I snapped at them, placing my hands on Nibbles' back and Kowloon's arm before looking at the terrified woman, "Good morning, Sapphire. How was your stay in Warden HQ?"

"G-Good morning to you, Tria." Sapphire stuttered, staring at the hostile males fearfully even as she composed herself, "It was nice, thank you…" She then tore her eyes from them to stare at me in shock. "Wait! How did you know I'd stayed here last night?!"

"I could smell your perfume when I was brought into the hospital." I explained as Nibbles and Kowloon relaxed more, though Kowloon remained standing, "You have a stubborn pride about you, so I didn't think you'd leave without at least trying to speak with me." I leaned back on my bed, my visitations tiring me. "Now, then. What did you wish to discuss with me?"

Sapphire looked at me sadly, her blue eyes tired and, dare I say, humble.

"I came to apologize for the…incident two days ago. With that gem tournament." she said, looking at the floor guiltily, "My sister and I truly have not been treating you with the respect you deserve, respect for your title or your personality. Not just at the tournament, but ever since we met you. You have been treated badly by both of us."

"That's putting it mildly." Kowloon snarled viciously, Nibbles adding his voice in agreement.

Sapphire backed away, the combined intimidation of the human-like vivosaur and the vivosaur-like human overwhelming the poor woman.

"Easy, Nibbles, Kowloon." I said soothingly to the two males.

"I know you said you wouldn't forgive us." Sapphire mumbled, her voice sorrowful, "And, after everything that's happened, I don't expect you to. I just-"

"When did I say I wouldn't forgive you?" I asked, my sharp tone stopping the woman's sentence in its tracks.

Now it was Sapphire's turn to be surprised. "Y-You said…I mean…" she stuttered, her composure lost, "That red-haired Warden…she said you said no, when I'd asked for your forgiveness."

I sighed, long and heavy, and fell back against my pillow with my eyes closed.

" _Tria?_ " Nibbles asked me worriedly as he turned around to face me. 

"What's wrong, Alpha?" Kowloon asked in concern as he gripped my arm.

I didn't respond to them verbally, simply stroking Nibbles' head and grabbing Kowloon's arm in return, before I finally responded to Sapphire.

"I wasn't talking to you." I told her, not even opening my eyes when I heard her gasp, "I barely even heard you when you said that. I was talking to something else."

"Something else?" Sapphire asked, curiosity mixing with her concern, "Like what?"

I sighed again and opened my eyes to look at the woman. I then looked at the ceiling and addressed my two guards.

" _What do you two think?_ " I asked them, glancing at both of them briefly, " _Think she's trustworthy?_ "

" _She's a spoiled brat._ " Kowloon growled back, " _She's clearly been sheltered, and she isn't used to the darker side of the world._ "

" _But she's also open and level-headed._ " Nibbles put forward, " _She seems used to mending the bridges burned by her sister. Wasn't that sister the one who set you off?_ "

" _That's right._ " I answered, " _Sapphire immediately apologized for her sister's behavior, but I was too far gone to accept._ " I looked at both of them again. " _However, she is not without her own spoiled arrogance. She may be more in touch with the rest of the world, but she still, deep down, sees herself as above everyone else. Think there could be some benefit in her hearing this information?_ "

" _It might broaden her view._ " Kowloon admitted, Nibbles nodding in agreement, " _But if she leaks your struggles to the ignorant civilians, the backlash will be immense._ "

" _Fair points._ " I growled, hugging Nibbles to my side and gripping Kowloon's hand, " _Thanks, guys._ "

" _Of course, Alpha._ "

" _We're always here for you, Tria._ "

"Something else." I said, catching Sapphire's attention again, "It's a rather…touchy subject, generally kept among the Wardens and their allies." I focused on her, my weak gaze still holding a sharp intensity that made the woman flinch, "Are you an ally of the Wardens?"

"Of course I am!" Sapphire insisted, her gaze just as sharp and slightly indignant, "I've always respected and supported the Wardens!"

"That isn't what I asked." I told her, my eyes never leaving the other woman, "Allies don't merely respect and support from the background. You've seen firsthand how the Wardens react to this situation. The Wardens, and their allies. They don't stand in the background; they act. They help me with this problem, they keep others from harm during crisis, they act and react directly to the situations that arise." My eyes and voice hardened as I asked, "Are you capable of and willing to do that, as an ally of the Wardens and an ally to me?"

At the mention of taking direct action, Sapphire became nervous. She looked between me, Nibbles, Kowloon, and the floor, before looking down at her jeweled hands and clenching them in determination, determination reflected in her blue eyes as she looked at me.

"I will." she promised, "I will do whatever I can to help you, Tria." She became sorrowful for a moment. "Of all the people we've ever met, you are the only one who has put up with me and my sister without monetary payment. No one helps us more than once, my sister's attitude and my own snobbery driving them away. But you did. You gave us a chance, and we completely took advantage of it. And now, even after everything we've done, the insults we've subjected you to, you're offering us another chance." Tears escaped her eyes, and she wiped them away before smiling, "You are the kind of friend we've been needing, and I will do everything I can to help you, just like you've helped us."

"Let me make myself clear." I said, sitting up more with Kowloon's help, "I'm not offering both you and Ruby this chance. This is for you, and you alone. No one, not your sister, not your servants, not your rich father, this information is not theirs. This is only yours, and it must be kept yours."

Sapphire jolted, the knowledge that she couldn't share this information with her sister shocking her. She then looked at me and nodded resolutely to show that she understood. I nodded in return and gestured toward the chair, watching her sit down before I spoke again.

"You know me as the dinosaur girl who saved the world, the Commander of the Vivosaurs." I said to the woman, "What, exactly, do you know about how I saved the world in the first place?"

Sapphire thought for a few moments. "Didn't you absorb this 'dark energy' stuff and kill a madman?"

"And that dark energy was why I was killed." I supplied, watching Sapphire nod, "And you know that I was revived about four months later, my reappearance at the Angel's Cup signaling my return." At her continuing nods, I sighed. "That was the story given to the public, and it's the truth, but it's not the whole truth. That truth was kept close to the Wardens and their allies, and that truth is where my current problem lies."

"Current problem?" Sapphire repeated, confused, "Do you mean the temper you're having trouble controlling?"

"Yes…" I muttered, shaking my head, "If only it were that simple." I noticed my vision fading again, and I focused on Sapphire to resist exhaustion's pull. "You know that I ingested the dark energy, and was killed because of it, but what you may not know is that I was killed because of the dark energy."

Sapphire tilted her head. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't follow."

"I bet you think I was killed because the dark energy made me too violent, right?" I asked knowingly, and, at Sapphire's hesitant nod, I shook my head again, "That wasn't the reason. The Wardens let the public believe that because the truth was far more painful."

"Painful?" Sapphire asked warily, "What truth?"

"My death was a requirement, one I had accepted the moment I came here from my home time." I explained, "I came here specifically to ingest the dark energy and die with it inside me. That's the only way to destroy dark energy. It must be contained in a 'pure' body, and then that body must be destroyed. THAT'S why I was killed."

Sapphire gaped at me, trying to imagine being in that positing and choking on the feelings that rose within her. She then covered her mouth and sobbed as tears left her eyes.

"Y-You…You came here to die?! And you went through with it, to save a world you don't even come from?!"

"That's right." I replied simply, "However, plans changed. I received an anonymous order to go into suspended animation and, about 3 ½ months later, I was revived. As I gathered my strength over the couple of weeks before the Angel's Cup, I noticed something else, something that was confirmed about a month after the Cup. And THAT'S where my repeated loss of control is actually coming from."

"What did you notice?" Sapphire asked, the pain from the information I was giving her continuing to choke her. Nibbles whimpered and Kowloon's grip tightened.

"The requirement for destroying the dark energy was my death. My death did not occur, so the dark energy was not destroyed." I explained, looking into the woman's terrified eyes evenly, "THAT'S why I keep losing control. THAT'S what this device detects. And THAT'S what I was talking to when you'd tried to apologize to me."

"Th-The dark energy…is still there…?" Sapphire squeaked fearfully as she pointed at me, "Still…inside you?"

I nodded. "When I finally snapped at Ruby, I became angry. Anger is a trigger, and when she insulted the vivosaurs that follow me, the dark energy started to influence my actions. Recently, the side of me that uses the dark energy, my dark side, has been making me say things, and I have to respond verbally in order to keep those words from getting out. That's what I was yelling at; I wasn't responding to you."

Sapphire gulped as she tried to stop her tears. Kowloon sat back down on the floor and held my hand tightly as he leaned against my arm. Nibbles whined and crawled onto my lap, curling up and licking the arm that was holding him.

"If I may ask…" Sapphire said hesitantly after she began to calm down, "What was the dark energy saying that you responded so violently to?"

"She was trying to get me to tear your sister apart." I replied, too easily for Sapphire's reaction, "She insisted that Ruby deserved to die by her claws, and she wanted to kill you as well when you stuck around. It's a common suggestion on her part."

"So when you were screaming the word 'no'…?" Sapphire asked before trailing off.

"I was negating my dark side's desire to slaughter you and your sister." I answered, nodding, "Or, more precisely, I was trying to hide the threats coming from her. I had already threatened Ruby once, in a language you could understand, no less. I didn't need to do it again."

"It took a while to convince my sister not to have our father's lawyers lock you up." Sapphire muttered, looking away in guilty embarrassment. At the warning growl from Nibbles and the vicious snarl from Kowloon, the woman jumped in her seat. "Sh-She's not going to! I promise you that!"

"I know." I replied, stretching my wings just enough to place my wing-claws on Nibbles' head and Kowloon's shoulder. I grimaced slightly as the stitches strained, and Sapphire hesitantly placed a hand on my leg.

"Thank you, Tria, for your understanding." she said, smiling, "I do still ask for your forgiveness, but I won't rush it."

"I don't give forgiveness to those without reason or remorse." I replied seriously, "You two have been spoiled rotten, but if you know how to properly behave in human society, one should assume that your sister does as well, correct? Ruby's behavior in inexcusable for a person, and she has shown no sign of admitting mistake or wrongdoing, so she has not earned my forgiveness."

"Yeah, I know…" Sapphire mumbled, sighing and shaking her head, "Ruby and I were taught manners, yes, but we were also taught that we were better than everyone else. We were raised by the head of a large jewelry-manufacturing company, so everyone treated us like royalty. We got used to it. I had a little more perspective, since I was in Ruby's shadow, but I still treated everyone around me as inferior. Ruby's self-righteous attitude, and my inability, or unwillingness, to stop her kept us from making any friends, so our only experience with people outside of our class has been with servants or hired help. That's all we've ever known. I can't ask for your forgiveness, but I must ask for your patience. We need someone like you to help us see beyond our bank account."

"I have always been a patient person." I responded, watching Sapphire with exasperated eyes, "But the fact of the matter is that my patience is running out. As the dark energy's hold on me continues to increase, my patience continues to decrease, and there's another problem posed by your sister's attitude." When I saw I had Sapphire's full attention, I continued, "Dark energy feeds on negative emotions, mine and others, and Ruby's good at provoking negative emotions in people, including me. Interacting with her will accelerate my loss of control, and as much as I would love to help you, the Wardens won't allow it, not while I'm still unstable."

"I understand." Sapphire sighed, patting my leg before getting up, "Please, if I can be of any help, don't hesitate to call me. I want to actually do something worthwhile with my life, rather than just follow my sister around everywhere."

"Will do." I replied, smiling at her. Sapphire nodded and turned to leave, but stopped and looked back at me curiously.

"By the way, Tria." she said, tilting her head, "The Wardens never said. How did you get those injuries?"

"I was injured in a fight." I replied vaguely, smirking at the woman as she glared at me in annoyance. Before she could ask me to elaborate, I added, "With the very thing I've been fighting since my revival."

Sapphire gasped and covered her mouth again, watching me with wide eyes. Nibbles whimpered again, and Kowloon interlaced his fingers with the wing-claws still resting on his shoulder.

"…You have my upmost respect, Tria." Sapphire told me seriously, "And I promise to show you that respect from now on."

"Thank you, Sapphire." I replied, smiling again, "And remember, keep this information to yourself. You are a Warden ally, but your sister, father, and servants are not."

"I will." Sapphire promised me before walking out of the hospital room. I lay back down on the bed, Nibbles purring as he snuggled closer to me, and stroked my other hand through Kowloon's shoulder-length black hair.

"Felt you tense earlier." I told him, "Care to tell me what's wrong?"

Kowloon looked up at me, his scarred right eye still holding the irritation brought forth by the conversation.

"That behavior wouldn't be accepted among vivosaurs, either." he growled, glaring at the door. At the look I was giving him, he sighed and looked up at me again, his eye now containing pain, fear, and sorrow. "You said you don't give forgiveness to those who don't admit when they do something wrong. I never admitted to any wrongdoing, so does that mean you haven't forgiven me for hurting you and your friends?"

" _Kowloon._ " I purred to him gently, still stroking my clawed fingers through his hair, "If you'll recall, I said that I show no forgiveness to those who don't admit wrongdoing or mistake. You admitted that you made the mistake of leaving your pack."

"But not the mistake of following Dr. Blackraven." Kowloon growled.

"I also said that I don't forgive those 'without reason or remorse'." I added, lifting his chin so that he had to look back at me, "Even without remorse, you had clear reasons behind your actions. You were following the one who accepted you, the one who gave you a place to belong. There's nothing wrong with following an alpha; I can't fault you for it."

"No!" Kowloon yelled suddenly, startling me. He scrambled to his knees so that he could reach my eye level, keeping a tight hold on my hand when I froze. "I followed Dr. Blackraven, but he was no alpha! He didn't take care of me, he hurt my packmates, he was no alpha! I followed him because I had no choice, but you are my only alpha! Never compare yourself to him!"

"Thank you, Kowloon." I said, smiling as he rested his head against my side and I continued stroking my fingers through his hair, "But you understand my point? I don't blame you for your actions, because I can see your reasons. So, to answer your question, I have forgiven you for the trouble you've caused. I wouldn't have accepted you into my pack if I hadn't."

Kowloon sighed as he remained where he was, my words soothing his mind. I could see him falling asleep, the stress of the past two days catching up to him. I looked at Nibbles, still pressed against my other side, to find him smiling at his former enemy, the little vivosaur's ability to relate to the man allowing him to warm up to his fellow packmate. Nibbles then looked away and blushed redder when he saw me looking at him, and I chuckled before holding him closer as I also drifted into sleep, letting myself heal and regain my strength in preparation for the war that I knew was far from over.


	54. Importance of Teamwork

I healed quickly during my week in the hospital. Kowloon spent the entire time in the Fossil Park, sleeping in Olga's room just as he had the first night, and I could see the increase in acceptance and comfort in the Asian Park resulting from the man's constant presence.

The visits from the Wardens were divided into days to keep from overwhelming me while I healed. The Asian Wardens were allowed to visit me on the second day, and the anxiety and urgency that had been gathering since I'd first sustained my injuries was made very clear. Stryker, Little, and Elric visited first, just to make sure I was up for having visitors, and once they were convinced that I was, they weren't able to keep the group of Asian Wardens away. They'd clearly been waiting outside and had been listening to every word. Penny and Mei Lian were both frantic with worry, while Nate and Roland were awed at the extent of my ability to withstand pain. Hanzo's voice and frame were heavy with guilt, his brother offering much-needed support while I assured the two ninjas that they were not at fault for my injuries. Liu Ren watched over the visit, smiling happily at my obvious healing while keeping an eye on the vivosaurian man standing in the corner.

The American Wardens were allowed to visit the next day, with Lucky, Dr. Digmore, Dino Gigante, and the Red Fang joining them. It took a lot of restraint on Lucky's part not to jump on me the moment he saw me, and once I'd opened my arms after he'd sat down on my bed, he didn't let go. Leon was smiling, his cool façade transparent to my eyes. Becky was much more relaxed than she'd been when she'd spoken to me earlier, though there was still tension in her eyes, tension reflected in the eyes of her brother behind his grin. There were tears in Daisy's eyes as she gripped my hand, being careful of my healing wings, while Dr. Digmore smile with relief at the rapid progress of my recovery. Dino Gigante took up much of the room in more ways than one, his laugh as loud and energetic as always. The Red Fang, whose only interaction with me had ended in my near-loss of control, were slightly wary of me. But only slightly, the berserker nature of their leader making it easier for them to adjust. Hellcat complimented me on how 'tough' I was to withstand the injuries I had, Spike stated that said 'toughness' didn't surprise him at all, and Aggro nodded in approval at my composure through the ordeal.

The European Wardens got to visit the day after the American Wardens, and the strain at having to wait showed. Dahlia was a blur as she dashed into the room, appearing at my bedside before any of her comrades, and she trembled where she stood. Frett wasn't far behind, placing himself on my other side and practically yelling in my ear. Prescott rushed in after his partner, scolding him for his inappropriate volume even as he asked how I was feeling. Violet and Drake entered the room more calmly, Violet confident in my recovery, which she'd no doubt seen in the Crystal Ball +1, and Drake more nervous about 'disturbing' me. However, there was a sense of foreboding in both of their expressions, one I understood perfectly. I was then surprised by the appearance of the Green Wave, who had insisted on visiting when they'd heard about my injuries. I hadn't known they had Warden connections, until I found out that Olga had contacted them earlier. Rocky was very vocal about his concern over my well-being, Gauss expressed astonishment at my rate of recovery, and Lancelot smiled at my calm handling of the emotions around me.

As my stamina returned, I was allowed to walk around, but only if someone was with me at all times. That someone was usually Kowloon, though the Wardens would frequently join as well. I saw Sydney watching me on the fifth day, and when I'd noticed that Kowloon had seen him too, I waved him over. The Australian investigator was more than a little nervous about my packmate, but he still managed to smile as he wished me a speedy recovery. It wasn't until I'd been out of the hospital for three days that Kowloon was able to return to Autumn Garden. The tears in my wings had to remain stitched for a few days longer, so I couldn't fly, but the rest of the wounds were fading.

And so, three days out of the hospital, I walked into the American Fossil Stadium, just as I'd been asked to, and approached the quarreling duo that I knew would be there.

"Are you out of your mind?! You want ME to pair up with YOU?!" Hellcat shrieked, sounding highly indignant.

"You no great shakes either!" Rocky barked back, offended.

"Hey, guys." I greeted when I approached them, smiling in amusement at the two fighters' antics.

"Well, isn't this fortunate? It's Tria!" Hellcat said when she saw me, "Maybe I'll pair up with you instead!"

"But orders said we supposed to pair up with rival members and learn teamwork!" Rocky argued, before glancing at me nervously and adding, "Although me not want to lose, either…"

"Maybe you should tell me what's going on." I stated, crossing my arms and titling my head at them.

"You know Green Wave and Red Fang?" Rocky asked me, not waiting for a response as he continued, "We long time rivals with each other."

"We're normally at each other's throats." Hellcat continued, "But we've been instructed to partner up as something of a…mental exercise. I don't know what it is with boss types and their wacky self-improvement methods, but there you have it."

"So, us two enter Osborn Cup together to prove mettle! But now we just fight amongst selves all the time." Rocky finished.

"You don't say." I said simply, my smile knowing. Rocky watched me for a moment before gasping, as if in sudden realization.

"You need join us!" he yelled, pointing to me, "You strong!"

"Plus, as the Commander of the Vivosaurs, you already have the respect of both the Red Fang and the Green Wave." Hellcat agreed excitedly, "And yeah, we were told to pair up, but they didn't say we couldn't add a third person to help keep the peace!" The excited woman suddenly got in my face and stared at me with wide, expectant eyes. "Come on! Let's do this together!"

"You got it!" I agreed easily, smiling at the grins spreading across the faces of the humans before me. I had actually been asked to assist them by their leaders, Lancelot and Aggro, earlier in the day, the leaders having known how difficult it would be for the two hotheads to work together.

"Hell yeah!" Hellcat cheered joyfully, "We'll take these guys out like yesterday's laundry!"

"Now we have fighting chance!" Rocky exclaimed, sighing with relief as he stated, "We go enter now."

"Let's go." I agreed, following my teammates to the reception counter. Once we were registered, I followed them into the waiting area and stood between their Bone Buggies. With the amount of in-fighting going on, I knew better than to attempt to split my time perching on their Bone Buggies, especially since the tournament had an odd number of rounds. At the announcer's call, the two Bone Buggies drove forward, with me walking along beside them. I looked tiny in comparison, but the residents of the Fossil Parks knew better than to underestimate me by now.

"Hey, Tria." Hellcat addressed me as we entered the arena, "Who're you gonna use? It's an awesome carnivorous vivosaur, right?"

"Plant-eaters great, too…" Rocky muttered in objection.

"I don't judge vivosaurs by their diets." I replied to both fighters, "I've chosen this vivosaur for a very specific reason." I looked down at the Earth-type's Dino Gear in my hand. "He's a master of teamwork."

"A master of teamwork?" Hellcat repeated, not liking the sound of that.

"What you mean by that?" Rocky asked, more curious. I smirked.

"You'll see."

As soon as we faced our opponents, my two impatient teammates sent out their vivosaurs. Beckles and Jiango immediately turned to each other and bellowed, ready to face their familiar opponents, but they were intercepted by the appearance of my own vivosaur partner, the silver sauropod easily dwarfing both of his teammates. Diplo called to both other vivosaurs, explaining to them that they were on the same side now and needed to work together, much to the other vivosaurs' displeasure. Beckles' fighter wasn't pleased, either.

"This is your 'master of teamwork'?" Hellcat asked, annoyed.

"He is." I replied easily, "Several members of his team quarrel often, so he's become quite good at mediating between them. He also had the herd instinct of the sauropods, which drives him to look out for the good of the group. That's why he's my master of teamwork."

Hellcat was about to comment, but our opponents sent out their vivosaurs and the battle began, forcing her and Rocky to turn their focus to the fight.

The opposing Nychus darted at Beckles, recognizing the type advantage it held. Styraco charged at Jiango, the slow-moving herbivore seeming to be an easy target. The Argento collided with Diplo, the two sauropods pushing at each other.

"Beckles! Beastly Bite!" Hellcat ordered. Beckles opened his jaws and tried to grab Nychus, but the swift raptor dodged and slashed the Air-type's side. Beckles staggered, trying to shake off the attack while Nychus recovered from the larger carnivore's Auto Counter.

"Jiango! Low Tackle!" Rocky yelled. Jiango met Styraco's charge, the two herbivores refusing to yield.

"This isn't going well." I mumbled to myself, shifting the microphone away from my mouth so that my teammates couldn't hear me, "They aren't working together at all. Seems we'll have to step in." I looked back at Diplo, who was still tussling with Argento, and gave him his orders.

" _Diplo! Catch Nychus and send it to Jiango!_ " I commanded, my voice terrifying everyone around me. Diplo howled in acknowledgement and sidestepped Argento. He then caught Nychus under its stomach with his tail and threw it over to the Water-type herbivore, the small carnivore landing on the toxic spikes and disappearing in a flash of light. Jiango looked around in confusion, not realizing what just happened, but I wasn't done.

" _Now, Diplo! Body Check Argento to Beckles!_ " I ordered next. Diplo nodded briefly before sidestepping Argento again, this time slamming his own body into the other Earth-type and sending it staggering toward the Air-type carnivore. Beckles snarled, still irritated that his previous opponent had been taken from him, and charged forward, biting down on Argento's neck and sending it back to its fighter. I looked back at Styraco, which was taking advantage of Jiango's confusion, and gave the battle's final orders.

" _All right, Diplo. Let's finish this! Rolling Whip on Styraco!_ " I roared. Diplo roared back and charged, unusually fast and agile for a vivosaur of his size. He spun around, catching Styraco with his tail and spinning him around. He then lunged forward and slammed himself into the smaller herbivore, his Body Check bringing the final opponent down. Diplo stood proudly before his defeated opponents, howling defiantly before returning to me, his confused teammates following shortly.

"What was that, Tria?" Hellcat asked me from her dark red Digger's Rig once we'd returned to the waiting area, her tone annoyed, "Your Diplo took control of the whole battle! Did you tell him to do that?"

"I did." I replied, crossing my arms and glaring at the woman.

"Why?" Rocky asked, looking upset at the initiative I had taken.

"The purpose of you two teaming up is to work on your teamwork." I told them, "You were not working together at all, so Diplo and I had to show you how it's done. Now that you have an idea of what to aim for, you can work on reaching that goal. That's what your leaders want."

Hellcat and Rocky looked at each other, as if assessing their ability to work with the other, before glaring and turning sharply away. I sighed and shook my head as we were called back into the arena.

The tournament had five rounds in total, making it longer than most. They should've given the hotheads of the Red Fang and Green Wave plenty of time to improve their teamwork skills, but it didn't seem to be working. Every time the two tried to work together, they ended up fighting. Diplo rumbled exasperatedly to me from his Dino Gear, and I sighed in a hushed apology to him. The final couldn't come too soon.

Beckles growled threateningly at the opposing Segno, eyeing the long-clawed Earth-type condescendingly. Jiango thrashed his spiked tail aggressively at Mihu, watching the ceratopsian's blade-like horn warily. And Diplo watched the Ankylo that stood against him with misplaced anger. This battle would be brutal.

"Behold the power of the Red Fang!" Hellcat called to her opponents, "This'll be over before you know it!"

"Green Wave strong, too…" Rocky muttered, sounding tired.

"Then there's me." I growled, Diplo's anger reflected in my own eyes. As the battle began, much like all the others, I looked up at the red and green sitting in the stands.

Aggro and Lancelot were watching the final battle. They had only managed to make the final, so they'd missed the previous four battles, but they could easily see how they'd progressed. Lancelot had a hand over his face, shaking his head at the clear lack of teamwork in the battle. Aggro was patting his back comfortingly, though there was disappointment in his eyes, too. When I caught their gazes, I gestured to my teammates with my head before shrugging. Aggro shrugged in return and Lancelot shook his head. My attention was brought back to the battle when two shouting voices entered my earpiece.

"Hey, watch it! Stop getting in my way!" Hellcat shrieked at Rocky as Beckles roared at Jiango.

"I just try to help!" Rocky yelled back as Jiango bellowed, "Orders are to learn teamwork!"

"It's not teamwork if all you do is get in my way! You're screwing up my strategy!" Hellcat snapped back, Beckles turning on Jiango completely now, much to the frustration of Diplo and the surprise of Segno, Mihu, and Ankylo.

"You no have strategy!" Rocky barked back at the girl as Jiango charged at Beckles.

I looked up at Aggro and Lancelot again, seeing their disappointment and exasperation increasing, and shook my head before turning back to the fight with a hardened gaze.

"You know what? I've had enough of this." I growled, stepping in front of the two Bone Buggies, my lack of patience clear in my posture, "You two can argue all you want. I'm finishing this battle myself."

"What are you saying, Tria?!" Hellcat asked, shocked and confused.

"How you win alone?" Rocky asked, curious and insulted.

"You two may not be able to work together, but your vivosaurs shouldn't be so limited." I snapped back, my tone vicious, "I'm taking control here." I then stood proudly before the vivosaurs, maintaining my true form even while projecting my voice throughout the entire Stadium.

" _Jiango! Toxic Spike on Segno!_ " I roared to the quarreling vivosaurs. Jiango perked up at my voice and turned away from Beckles to face his Earth-type opponent. He spun around in front of the stunned vivosaur and struck it with his tail spikes, spinning it into a weak stance. I turned to Diplo's other teammate.

" _Now, Beckles! Tackle!_ " I commanded. Beckles roared back and charged at Segno, knocking it forward and defeating it. Both vivosaurs gloated as I turned to Diplo.

" _Now, Diplo! Throw Mihu upward!_ " I ordered. Diplo spun around and tossed Mihu into the air. I then shifted my focus to the Water-type herbivore. " _Jiango! Drum Down!_ " Jiango narrowed his eyes and flipped through the air, slamming the small ceratopsian into the ground. The Neutral-type disappeared, just as Segno had, leaving only Ankylo. My gaze hardened further as the rage of the tournament came back to me. Exchanging one more glance with Diplo, we both nodded to each other before focusing on our final opponent.

" _All right, Diplo. Let's finish this._ " I snarled, becoming cold and sadistic as another voice emerged, " ** _Crush that pathetic creature!_** "

Diplo roared viciously as he rose up and brought his front feet down on Ankylo's back. The type advantage, combined with the Earth-type's ferocity, brought it down with one attack. My team howled victoriously before returning to their fighters. It was then that I noticed the annoying beeping sound coming from my wrist, and I looked down to see the device flashing green. I sighed and walked out of the arena without another word, ignoring both Hellcat and Rocky as I made my way into the lobby, where, unsurprisingly, Sean was waiting for me.

"I got the alert, Tria." he said immediately, even a friendly smile absent, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, Sean." I said gently, holding out my arm for him to turn off the alert, "My dark side showed up towards the end of the battle, but only verbally. She didn't make me do anything."

"Do you know what triggered you?" Sean asked, still concerned.

"Yeah…" I muttered again, looking back at the entrance to the waiting area just as Hellcat and Rocky were coming out, "This entire tournament has been…trying." I then turned to fully face my teammates as they approached me.

"Tee hee hee! We won!" Hellcat giggled, looking pleased.

"We pull it off, but not alone." Rocky added, looking at me, "Tria did most work."

"That's true." Hellcat replied, crossing her arms and looking at me with an impressed gaze, "I didn't know you could commanded other fighters' vivosaurs, Tria. That was pretty cool. Just ask next time, okay?"

"But I thought we supposed to be ones fighting." Rocky said, not really asking, but confirming, "We supposed to be ones learning teamwork."

"Oh, please. As if WE could ever work together." Hellcat said dismissively, leaving with a flick of her wrist, "We won the tournament. That's all that matters." She then left, her head held high. Rocky left as well with a final glance toward me. I sighed and turned back to Sean.

"I see what you mean, Tria." he told me, placing a sympathetic hand on my shoulder, "Were you trying to help them work together?"

"That was the idea." another voice answered. Sean and I both looked to see Aggro and Lancelot coming out of the stands and approaching us. "But things didn't seem to work out as planned."

"Unfortunately." I replied to the green-haired male, "I'm sorry Lancelot, Aggro."

"No need to apologize, Tria." Aggro told me, "You did everything you could."

"Indeed." Lancelot agreed, smiling at me, "Rocky and Hellcat have never gotten along. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we are grateful for your efforts."

"Even though I couldn't do anything to help…" I growled, and Sean's hand on my shoulder tightened.

Aggro and Lancelot looked at each other, some sort of unspoken communication occurring before they nodded and returned to me.

"We wouldn't say that." Lancelot replied, and I looked at him in shock, "It may be true that you couldn't get Rocky and Hellcat to work together."

"But you did get Beckles and Jiango to do so." Aggro continued, smiling happily, "Fighters and vivosaurs work together as a team, so showing that one half of the team can work together will encourage the other half."

"This is true." Sean agreed, grinning at me, "You did well with this, Tria."

"We just hope those two didn't cause you too much grief." Lancelot said, frowning at the device on my wrist, "We saw that device flashing green."

"Yeah…just a little bit of dark ferocity at the end of the event." I answered sheepishly, looking away from the concerned men.

"I had noticed your growl getting more vicious when you took command of the whole team. Especially with that last order to Diplo." Aggro observed, with me only nodding in agreement.

"Don't worry about Rocky and Hellcat, Tria." Lancelot told me, smiling gently, "We'll handle them. You just get some rest; you're not back up to full strength yet."

"Will do, Lancelot. Good luck with your teammates." I said, smiling up at him and Aggro, "I'm glad I could be of some assistance, at least."

"Until we meet again, then." Lancelot told me as he left after his teammate, Aggro following after pausing the ruffle my hair. I smiled back at the two men before catching Sean's worried eyes.

"I'm fine, Sean." I told the American leader, my hands on my hips, "Dart's voice left my throat, but she didn't influence any of my actions. She isn't a threat right now."

"The whole situation just bothers me." Sean muttered, staring at the floor with a troubled look on his face, "You're getting triggered more and more easily. And now it's even causing you physical injury. Isn't there any way to stop it?"

"None that we know of, Sean." I replied, "Elric's gathering light energy to help me suppress her, but all that's going to do it delay the inevitable. With each side fighting to suppress the other, I will eventually be destroyed by the internal struggle. Unless another solution is reached, that is how it will be." When I saw Sean's distress, I placed a wing-claw on his shoulder. "I will stay here as long as I can, and I will continue to protect the Fossil Parks while I'm here. Hopefully, I'll even get to join the ranks of masked fighters with Dino Gigante and the Flying Smile Kid."

"Not if you keep getting triggered in my Stadium…" Sean growled resentfully.

"Now, Sean." I scolded the taller male, "Neither the Stadium nor the audience had anything to do with my trigger. That fault rests entirely with my teammates; it would've happened no matter where I'd been or how many people had been watching."

Sean sighed, patting my shoulder once more before releasing me. "At any rate, Lancelot was right. You haven't fully healed, and those wounds have weakened you. Head back to Asia to rest."

"Might've had something to do with how easily I was triggered this time." I agreed as I walked into the Fossil Center with Sean, "I can't say I'm fond at having to rest so much, but I can see its necessity. Elric also insists that I get a daily dose of the light energy he gathers, so I might as well get that over with."

"Good idea." Sean said as we stopped at the World Gate. He then grinned at me and gave me a thumbs-up. "And don't you worry, Tria! We'll find a way to beat this thing, count on it!"

I smiled at the American leader before walking through the World Gate. While in the portal, however, my smile faltered.

"Be careful, Sean." I said to myself, "Don't make promises you can't keep."


	55. A Decision To Be Made

I was lying in my bed in Elric's room, the light-gathering device resting on my chest, when there was a knock at the door. I opened one eye and looked at Elric, who was sitting on his own bed, reading. He nodded to me and got up, making his way to the door and opening it to reveal Sydney Yates. Sydney looked surprised to see Elric, but he composed himself quickly.

"Good afternoon." he greeted the silver-haired male, "I was told Tria would be here."

"Tria is resting." Elric stated, becoming slightly defensive, "May I take a message?"

"Let him in, Elric." I said, closing my eyes again, "I've been expecting him for some time."

There was a pause, which I could guess was Elric turning to look at me skeptically, but when he saw that I couldn't see his incredulity, he sighed. I heard him return to his bed, followed by another pair of footsteps approaching mine. I opened my eyes again to see Sydney taking the seat that was set up next to my bed, his face concerned. There was also a certain anxiousness and urgency in his brown eyes that told me the purpose of his visit.

"Hello, Sydney." I said, turning my head to look at him more directly, "I trust life in the Fossil Parks has been treating you well?"

"Very much, thanks." Sydney replied, the tone of casual conversation not seeming to sit well with him. At his clear discomfort, I sighed.

"Let me guess. Your superiors want a final report soon." I said, knowing I'd hit the nail on the head when I saw him flinch. I also saw Elric turn his wary gaze to us, his golden eyes hardening and becoming as sharp as my claws.

"I did say you're too sharp, Tria." he said, almost sounding sad as he nodded, "Yes, I need to send in a report soon. The bossman's gettin' impatient. He wanted a report last week, but at the news of your injuries, he agreed to wait a while longer. Now that you're recovering, however…" He trailed off, eyes lowered guiltily.

"A report of what, exactly?" Elric asked, his dread turning quickly into a threatening anger. He got up from his own bed and strode across the room to sit on the side of mine so that he could look at the Australian investigator directly. Sydney cringed at the harshness in the other male's tone and demeanor, while I simply answered.

"A report of whether or not my existence should be allowed to continue." I replied, surprisingly casual as both men looked at me in shock, "You didn't really think the news of my episodes could be contained in the Fossil Parks, did you, Elric?"

"You knew about this, Tria?" Elric asked, now focusing his sharpened gaze on me. When I nodded, he growled. "And you didn't say anything about it because…?"

"I didn't want anyone interfering with the investigation, consciously or subconsciously." I replied just as easily, looking at the shock on both men's faces, "These people have every right to be concerned, Elric, and they have every right to look into this matter. Can you honestly blame them?"

"If they attempt to kill you without understanding what's going on…" Elric growled, glaring at Sydney.

"Which is exactly why I'm here, Elric, was it?" Sydney interrupted, not so much angry or insulted as anxious to pacify the other male, "I'm here to get the facts, all of them, and make a report based on them." He turned back to me and added, "That's why I'm here now, actually, Tria. My boss wants a report, but there are some things I don't understand. I need the whole picture before I can give an accurate evaluation."

"And just what will this report contain?" Elric asked, glaring at me in warning, "Some of the details are classified and might cause panic if they reach the public."

"None of these details will be publicized, Elric." Sydney replied, understanding of Elric's wariness, "None of my mission is public, actually. That could cause an outcry of another sort, and even so," He continued before Elric could protest, "My orders are not to report every detail. My orders are to find out what I can and make an evaluation from that. The details are only so I can make an informed decision; they aren't to be passed on."

"And if we hide anything, that would be seen as automatically suspicious." I added, "So it would probably be wise to tell Sydney what's going on and let him make his judgement based on accurate information from the source rather than lack of or even misinformation. That was my thinking."

Elric looked between me and Sydney, still not comfortable with the situation, but he sighed and shook his head.

"I see that I am outnumbered here." he said finally, "Tell him what you want, but I'm not leaving you alone. That is my compromise."

"That works." I said, wrapping my tail around his waist and curling it around his arm, "Thank you, Elric." As my childhood friend gripped my tail, I turned back to my visitor. "Now, Sydney. What is it you wanted to ask?"

Sydney jolted slightly and instinctively reached for his notepad. At the glare from Elric, his hands stopped, and he nodded before resting them on his knees.

"A week ago, you suffered some serious injuries, apparently from a fierce battle, but few seem to know what it was that inflicted those injuries. I assume you know what caused them?"

"Of course. I was there." I replied simply. I huffed a slight laugh at the annoyed glare from Sydney as Elric rolled his eyes, before holding up my left wrist. "Remember what this detects?"

Sydney stared at the device for a second before looking at me in shock. "Y-You were facing the dark energy?!"

"Kind of." I replied, feeling Elric's grip tighten, "I was taking part in an ancient trial of the ancestors of two of my Paleo Pals, who are ninjas. You face off against your own shadow, and you must overcome it to pass. My shadow is more dangerous than most, because it can utilize dark energy, which combats the light energy that is the basis of my own power."

"Your shadow uses dark energy?" Sydney repeated, looking nervous, "So you weren't fighting the dark energy itself?"

"Not directly, no." I replied, "The dark energy usually takes over whatever it enters, corrupting it for its own purposes. My mission was to contain the dark energy and then let myself be destroyed, but that didn't happen." The coil of my tail tightened around Elric's arm when I felt him shudder. "Still, even with some of the dark energy still present, I wasn't expecting the problems I've been having. I thought I would simply continue to suppress it with the light energy I get from the positivity around me, but this is a lot more difficult. I've been trained to harness light energy to fuel my power, which made me perfect for containing the opposing energy, but I'm not perfect. I have negative emotions, and I've been suppressing that negative part of me for so long that it's gained a mind of its own, and that side can harness dark energy the same way I harness light. And she is much harder to suppress."

"So you got these injuries fighting…your dark side?" Sydney asked when I had finished.

"She calls herself Dart." I affirmed, nodding, "She wants a chance to live, but she sees the life I've built as damaging to me and, by extension, her, so she wants to attack and destroy that life and all that threatens her. She sees herself as a protector of the self, as opposed to my nature as a protector of others. We cannot compromise, so we are in constant struggle with one another. I use light energy gathered to suppress her." I tapped the device on my chest. "But with every effort I make, she counters in an attempt to be free. We can't compromise, we can't exist at the same time, so if one takes control, the other will be suppressed. The struggle is to determine who suppresses who."

"Do you know who's gonna win?" Sydney asked, getting straight to the point. I shook my head.

"Hard to say. Dart's determined to live, and she gains power from negativity. I'm just as determined, and I gain power from positivity, so there are really three potential outcomes."

"Three?" Sydney asked, and Elric looked at me. I nodded.

"Three." I repeated, holding up a hand as I counted on my fingers, "The first possibility is that I will overwhelm and completely suppress Dart with the power of my light. The second is that Dart will overwhelm me and take control with her power of darkness. Both of these are quite unlikely." I sighed. "The third possibility is what I'm worried about."

"And that third possibility is…?" Sydney asked, his nervousness making him impatient.

"Dart and I will remain in a deadlock, constantly struggling against one another, and that struggle will eventually destroy this body and kill us both. That is the direction I appear to be going in."

Elric growled, gripping my tail hard, and Sydney flinched visibly. He glanced down at his notepad, then at his watch, and directly asked the question he'd been trying to answer since he first arrived in the Parks to investigate me.

"Would you consider yourself dangerous, or not?"

Elric tensed, and he was about to turn on the Australian man, but I beat him to it.

"Of course I do." I stated matter-of-factly, "I am very dangerous. I can wipe out entire vivosaur teams, kill humans with ease, and destroy the Fossil Parks and beyond. I am dangerous, and I've never denied that." I then looked from the horrified expression on Elric's face to the pained one on Sydney's and asked, "May I ask you a question before you leave?"

"Of course." Sydney replied, leaning forward to show that I had his attention.

"Would you consider yourself dangerous?" I asked, watching the man closely as he jolted in shock.

"Of course not!" Sydney exclaimed. He looked from me to Elric, who was now watching curiously, before continuing, "I'm just a human. I'm not very good at Fossil Battles, as I'm sure you recall, nor am I skilled in excavating and reviving fossils. Not good with weapons, either, or fighting in general. I'm not dangerous at all." He then looked at me and, seeing the look I was giving him, asked me, "Do you think I'm dangerous?"

"Yes." I said simply, and Sydney stared at me in shock. Elric arched an eyebrow at me, clearly wondering where I was going with this. "You are very dangerous to me. My life is in your hands. Your decision and report will be used to determine whether or not I will be allowed to live. That gives you a lot of power, and power is dangerous."

"Your danger comes from lack of control, not power." Sydney said, sounding insulted.

"Tell me this, then. Would someone with my lack of control, but your level of physical power, be considered dangerous? Dangerous enough to warrant an investigation to figure out whether or not their existence should be exterminated?" I asked, staring directly at the man as I asked that question. When his eyes wouldn't meet mine, I continued, "Everyone with power is dangerous, because everyone with power can control things beyond themselves. Even those with dangerous traits, like a lack of control, are only considered dangerous if they have the power to back it up, to extend that dangerous trait beyond themselves to affect others. That's what makes one dangerous, whether the power they have is physical or influential." I then smiled at Sydney. "I'm not going to tell you what decision to make, but I do want you to keep that in mind when you judge me. That is all."

I then closed my eyes and returned to my restful state. Elric was still stroking my tail, and I heard Sydney shuffling uncomfortably. I then heard him stand up, and I felt Elric pause in his continued memorization of the scales on my tail.

"Thank you kindly, Tria. You've been a big help." Sydney told me before walking out of my room.

"Anytime, Sydney." I replied, and I heard his footsteps pause at the door before continuing, disappearing shortly afterward. I then heard Elric move into the seat Sydney just vacated, and I opened my eyes again to look up at him.

"Are you sure that was wise, Tria?" he asked me, "You just told him that you were dangerous and gave him a lot of reasons to advise your death."

"Better than trying to hide everything and forcing him to make a decision based on rumors and self-conclusions." I replied, "That kind of behavior is suspicious, and it would not end well for me. Better to cooperate and give the impression of someone who is rational and open than the impression of one who has something to hide."

"And if he still decides to kill you?" Elric asked, crossing his arms as he glared at me expectantly.

"Then we'll deal with it." I said simply, patting his knee before closing my eyes again and sighing, "I think I'm going back to sleep. You do what you feel is necessary."

"I will." Elric said seriously, taking the empty light-gathering device and leaving the room. He turned off the light and shut the door, his footsteps fading as he left to deal with this new threat. I lay in my bed for a while, resting but not sleeping, when a familiar noise reached my ears.

"You're early." I said after dialing the familiar number.

"Something's come up." the voice on the other end replied, "I have to speak with you directly. It's urgent."

"Is he making a move?" I asked, and at the confirming noise he made, I asked, "Is tomorrow night too late?"

"No." the voice replied, "Tomorrow's fine. I'll be there."

"As will I." I replied, putting the phone down as the other caller hung up. I then curled up again and went to sleep, regaining my strength for the next day.


	56. Fixed Marathon

Work the following day started early for me. After waking up and eating with my Asian Warden allies, I got a call from Spike asking if I was busy. He sounded as coolly casual as always, but there still seemed to be something wrong, so I invited him to Fossil Park Asia. I waited in my room, as Spike had requested, and was surprised when both he and Gauss showed up at my door.

"Good morning, Tria." Gauss greeted me pleasantly, "How are you feeling today?"

"Better than last week, for sure." I replied, smiling at the kind and intelligent woman, "You two look well."

Gauss' smile widened, and Spike nodded, his cocky smirk still in place.

"Heard you helped Hellcat and Rocky with some battles, huh?" Spike said, not really a question, "Thanks for the assist. I know those two can be a real pain sometimes."

"Don't mention it." I growled, looking away briefly, "I didn't actually manage to help them much. I only got their vivosaurs to work together…"

"It's still an impressive feat." Gauss informed me while Spike nodded, "The odds of Jiango and Beckles working together are astronomical, but you pulled it off. We are very grateful."

"Thanks, guys." I said, smiling up at them again before getting back to business, "What brings you here, anyway?"

Spike and Gauss looked at each other, their faces becoming grim.

"There have been terrible rumors going around about an upcoming tournament." Gauss explained, expression darkening.

"Rumors?" I asked, tilting my head, "What kind of rumors?"

"Apparently, there are rumors that the tournament has been fixed." Spike continued, "Aggro and Lancelot sent us to investigate it."

"The rumors are too consistent and numerous to be a mere statistical anomaly." Gauss stated certainly.

"And since you're an ally of the Wardens, we thought you might be interested in busting some cheaters." Spike finished, smirking at me. At my apprehensive expression, he put an arm around Gauss. "Thankfully, me and Gauss aren't a couple of hotheads like Hellcat and Rocky."

"We're actually old childhood friends, if you can believe it." Gauss added, leaning against Spike's side companionably.

"All right." I smiled as I relaxed, "Count me in."

"Ha!" Spike laughed, "I knew you couldn't resist!"

"I feel as if we've gained a million allies!" Gauss declared, before adding sheepishly, "Hypothetically, of course."

"The tournament is in Fossil Park Europe." Spike informed me, glancing at Gauss, "Though we should probably mention something about it…"

"Right." Gauss agreed before explaining, "This tournament has a staggering seven rounds and is known for being a true test of a fighter's endurance. And there are no Support Shot refills, so it is quite challenging."

"Seven rounds, huh?" I repeated, smirking as an idea came to mind, "That's quite a challenge indeed. I think I have the perfect vivosaur for it, though."

"Excellent." Spike said, smiling at my confidence as we walked to the World Gate, "Let's go."

"You two go ahead." I said to the Red Fang and Green Wave second-in-commands, "I'll meet you there shortly. I must retrieve my vivosaur partner."

"You don't carry your vivosaurs with you, Tria?" Gauss asked me. I shook my head.

"I can fight on my own, so I usually only carry one of the team I'd trained with me." I explained, "I can also command any vivosaur that's loyal to me, including those of other fighters. I don't have to carry my full team with me. Besides…" I added, my smirk still in place, "He's found a place of his own. I can hardly keep him away from it for long." I then headed through the World Gate, leaving the two humans confused.

After retrieving my chosen teammate, his excitement at the prospect of a long tournament keeping him from complaining, I sped to the European Stadium and sat on the rail of the stairs leading into the stands to wait for my teammates. They were clearly surprised to see that I had gotten there first, but I just smiled sweetly at their questions and gestured to the reception desk. While Spike and Gauss registered us for the marathon tournament, I activated my holographic disguise. When the two turned around to face me again, they jumped.

"Tria?" Spike asked, squinting at me with a scrutinizing gaze, "Is that you?"

"Why are you using your disguise?" Gauss asked me, recognizing my human form from her first encounter with me.

"We're here to catch some cheaters, right?" I asked rhetorically, winking at them, "Wouldn't want to scare them away, would we?"

Spike and Gauss glanced at each other briefly before chuckling at my mischievous tone. We then headed into the waiting area, with me entering the unmarked Bone Buggy given to me and driving up next to the dark red Turf Shredder and the light green Digger's Rig as the faces of my teammates appeared on my screen.

"All right, Tria, here's the plan." Spike addressed me, "We need to investigate the rumors of cheating in this tournament. To do this, we need to get through the whole thing, if possible."

"And since we can't replenish out Support Shots, we must use them sparingly." Gauss added, "We should also get through each battle quickly, before fatigue has time to take hold."

"Right." I said simply, clutching the Dino Gear in my hand as the vivosaur growled.

When we were called into the arena for the first battle, my team was radiating confidence. As we faced our first opponents, Spike and Gauss sending out Dimetro and Lophus, I sent out my chosen partner, the large, intimidating, battle-scarred Lythro. The massive battle-worn carnivore gnashed his blood-red teeth, his equally-red eyes narrowing arrogantly at his opponents.

Spike whistled. "Damn, Tria. You have some scary-looking vivosaurs, don'tcha?"

"I calculate that the intimidation may actually help us." Gauss stated, "A frightened team is weaker, and it will help us get through more quickly."

"That's the idea." I replied, exchanging a sadistic grin with Lythro. Our opponents sent out their team, and the battle began.

Coatlus dove at Dimetro, seeing the smaller Fire-type as an easy target. Styraco lunged at Lophus, recognizing the type advantage it held. And Mapo charged at Lythro with jaws agape, sensing the challenge in the other carnivore. Lythro snorted.

"Look at their arrogance, Lythro." I snarled sadistically, "Why don't we show them what real power is?"

" _With pleasure._ " Lythro purred, his bloodlust making his eyes glow as he met Mapo halfway, clashing with the large Water-type. Avoiding its massive jaws with ease, Lythro sank his own red teeth into Mapo's shoulder, shaking it violently before slamming it into the ground and defeating it. Before Mapo's light had even faded, Lythro grabbed Coatlus' wing in his jaws and thrown it into Styraco, sending them both flying. Unsatisfied, Lythro roared and chased after his two remaining opponents, Dimetro and Lophus staying back to avoid getting in the violent Neutral-type's way. Spike and Gauss stared at Lythro with their mouths hanging open as I gave him an order.

"Hypno Tail!" I commanded, my eyes gleaming gleefully. Lythro roared viciously and spun around, slamming his tail into Coatlus and Styraco and sending them flying back to their fighters as Dino Gears. Lythro roared to the sky before returning to me, Lophus and Dimetro following suit. I left the arena, Spike and Gauss following me with their mouths still hanging open. It wasn't until we got back into the waiting area that my teammates finally regained their voices.

"That…was incredible." Gauss muttered, adjusting her glasses.

"And kinda scary." Spike added, trembling slightly.

"Sorry, guys." I told them, "I know I took your spotlight, but I knew Lythro could handle it, so I decided that I would let you guys rest through the first battle."

"That'll preserve our stamina." Gauss admitted, "But what about you and Lythro? Won't you two get tired?"

"I doubt it." I replied simply, smiling at Lythro's Dino Gear, "We are strong. We can take it."

"You sure, Tria?" Spike asked. When I smiled at him, he shook his head. "All right…"

The next round began, and we drove into the arena to face our next opponents.

"What a pain." Spike groaned, glaring at our opponents, "Let's crush 'em, quick!"

"Hold, please. Analyzing data…" Gauss muttered as her eyes scanned our opponents.

"What data?" I asked rhetorically as we sent out our team. The opposing team roared in challenge as the battle began.

Lophus collided with an opposing mirror of herself, the two Earth-type duckbills slapping at each other. The opposing Penta charged at Lythro, horns glinting in the sunlight, but was stopped by the jaws of Dimetro closing on its foreleg. Raja attempted to scoop the small Fire-type in its jaws, but quickly found itself brought down by the Neutral-type jaws of Lythro crushing its neck. With the fade of the Earth-type carnivore, Lythro turned to the side and bit down on Penta's back, pushing it into the ground as Dimetro was shaken off.

"Dimetro! Ground Strike!" Spike ordered. Dimetro waddled forward and pressed Penta's head into the ground. Lythro then lifted the ceratopsian into the air and tossed it at the quarreling herbivores.

"Heads up, Gauss!" Spike called to his childhood friend.

"I see it!" Gauss affirmed before ordering, "Lophus! Get back!"

Lophus glanced at the Neutral-type hurtling toward her and jumped back. The other Lophus, having been confused by Lophus' Face Slapper, couldn't evade its teammate, and the two crashed, both disappearing into Dino Gears as our team howled victoriously.

"We're on a roll." Spike said, smirking.

"We need to keep it going." Gauss stated matter-of-factly.

"We will." I assured, feeling as much as hearing Lythro laugh. I watched the other battles on the screen in the waiting area, closely observing the other teams in search of anything abnormal. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. Soon, we were called again.

"Sure you wanna keep going?" Spike asked us somewhat-rhetorically, "This is gonna get tiring…"

"The mental strength and endurance to withstand multiple battles is vital." Gauss informed her friend scoldingly.

"On to the next!" I agreed energetically as I sent out Lythro. We faced off against the next team with confidence, our previous victories still in the air.

A V-raptor dashed around Lophus with a predatory shriek, its speed and element giving it the advantage. Stygi charged at Dimetro, using its own speed to its advantage as well. The slowest opposing vivosaur, Giganto, lumbered toward Lythro with its massive jaws opening.

"Let's get through this quickly, Lythro." I said, not so much tired as impatient and bored. Lythro snorted in affirmation and ducked down below Giganto. "Now! Head Shredder!"

Lythro smirked and threw his head upward, knocking Giganto into a weakened stance. Lythro then lunged forward, knocking Giganto on its back. A single stomp on the larger carnivore's stomach was all it took to bring it down.

"Nice work, Lythro!" I called before turning to watch my teammates. I saw that Dimetro had slowed Stygi down the same way he'd stopped Penta. The hard-headed Fire-type was limping as it charged, and as soon as Dimetro glanced over at Lophus' struggle against V-raptor, Spike and Gauss glanced at each other and nodded.

"Wait for it, Lophus…" Gauss said as V-raptor darted straight at her. Once the small carnivore lunged, she yelled, "Now! Face Slapper!"

Lophus whistled and swung her arm into V-raptor, throwing it right into Stygi. As both vivosaurs collapsed, Dimetro waddled up to them.

"Dimetro! Snapping Upper!" Spike commanded. Dimetro growled and grabbed the arms of both Stygi and V-raptor, throwing them back to their fighters.

"Three down." Spike stated, sounding pleased.

"We can't relax yet." Gauss said.

"Not until the end." I agreed.

The battles were coming more quickly as more and more teams dropped from the competition. I kept watching the battles, as did my teammates, but as the tournament progressed, they began to lose focus as tedium and fatigue began to take hold. Our next battle was called quickly.

"Oh, come one. We're STILL not there?" Spike complained grouchily.

"Stop complaining and finish this!" Gauss snapped at him, irritated.

"We can't stop now!" I agreed whole-heartedly.

Sungari dove at Dimetro, using its speed to its advantage. Argento lumbered toward Lophus, its size giving it an advantage over the smaller Earth-type. Zino charged at Lythro, long claws gleaming.

"A Zino, huh?" I muttered in amusement, "This should be fun." I then called out, "Lythro! Hypno Tail!"

Lythro roared and spun around, hitting the charging therizinosaur and spinning it into a weak stance.

"Now! Hammer Down!" I ordered immediately. Lythro smirked and slammed his head down on the weakened Zino, bringing it down.

"Nice." I whispered before checking on the other two. Dimetro was having trouble dealing with his speedy opponent, and Lophus couldn't seem to get through Argento's rocky armor. I exchanged a glance with Lythro.

"You help out Lophus." I told him, "I'll assist Dimetro."

" _Right._ " Lythro growled before rushing over and biting down on Argento's neck, forcing it into a weak stance. I turned my attention to Dimetro, who was bracing for another attack.

"Spike! Have Dimetro grab it!" I called to Dimetro's fighter, meeting the shocked gaze on my screen evenly, "I've got your back, don't worry!"

Spike narrowed his eyes at me, but nodded in acceptance and returned to his vivosaur.

"Wait for it, Dimetro." he said calmly. Dimetro nodded resolutely and crouched down to prepare for the oncoming attack. Right as Sungari got close, I fired some Defense Support Shots to strengthen the small sailed vivosaur. Dimetro smirked confidently and reared onto his hind legs, grabbing Sungari's wing in his jaws and bringing it to the ground. Just as Sungari disappeared in a flash of light, another pained scream was heard. We all looked to see Argento disappearing as well, unable to withstand Lythro and Lophus' double assault.

"All right! We're over halfway through!" Spike declared, sighing with relief.

"I calculate that the battles will only get harder, though." Gauss muttered grimly.

"We'll get through. We just need to work together." I stated, earning me smiles from both fighters.

While waiting for the next round, I looked around the waiting area. Dark as usual, but my eyes could see right through. Nothing unusual.

"They're not gonna last much longer." I heard Spike state suddenly. I turned back to see him watching the battle playing on the screen.

"Agreed." Gauss said, also watching the battle, "They'll be out of Support Shots by the end of this round at this rate."

I looked up at the team they were talking about. Sure enough, the group was using Support Shots quite liberally, adding to almost every attack and defense.

"Hm…" I hummed as I thought to myself, "That's odd. I could've sworn they didn't have that many Support Shots left." They had used roughly half of their Support Shots in the previous round, but in this round, their supply seemed to be full. I narrowed my eyes.

By the fifth round, Gauss seemed to be tiring. Spike, however, looked brighter than ever.

"Now we're getting somewhere." he said, his smirk widening, "My engine's finally warming up!"

"You never change…" Gauss sighed, her cheek resting on her hand as she blinked tiredly.

"Keep going, you two!" I called, mostly to Gauss. Spike was looking excited for the next battle, while Gauss yawned.

These opponents took a different approach from our previous ones. The large sauropod, Amargo, charged at Dimetro, attempting to overwhelm him with size instead of speed. Goyle charged at Lophus, its type advantage and armor making it hasty. Hopter dove at Lythro, confident that its speed would give it an edge on the larger carnivore. It was wrong.

"Grab it, Lythro!" I commanded. Lythro growled, opening his jaws, before lunging and closing his jaws around Hopter's wing with surprising speed. He then shook it violently like a ragdoll, thrashing it back and forth before slamming it into the ground. It disappeared shortly afterward, helpless in the face of Lythro's onslaught.

I then looked over to Spike and Dimetro, only to find the small Fire-type brutally biting and slashing at the sauropod's feet. Amargo had clearly been poisoned as well, and it bellowed in pain before disappearing in a flash of light. I smirked as Spike laughed with more energy than I'd ever witnessed in him. I then looked over to Lophus, only to see her sitting on the armored vivosaur's back, the smaller Air-type struggling under her weight.

"Face Slapper, Lophus." Gauss said, sounding annoyed. Lophus narrowed her eyes at Goyle and smacked its head with her front foot. Goyle swayed before collapsing under its opponent's weight. My team smiled as we left the arena.

"Five down, two to go." I said in the waiting area, more to myself than to anyone else. I looked at my screen when I heard my teammates breathing heavily.

"I'm r-running…out of fuel…" Spike gasped, resting his head on his steering wheel. Dimetro growled tiredly from his Dino Gear.

"I, too, am…p-pretty tired…" Gauss panted, sounding exhausted. Lophus sighed.

" _Wimps._ " Lythro snarled in disgust.

" _Be nice, Lythro._ " I hissed quietly to him, " _Not everyone is used to fighting many battles in a row like you are._ "

I ignored Lythro's snort as I watched the team before us. Spike and Gauss were too exhausted to notice, but I did.

" _Hey, Lythro._ " I said, gaining the carnivore's attention, " _Isn't that the same team we saw last round using Support Shots every turn?_ "

" _Pathetic weaklings that can't rely on their own strength._ " Lythro growled in disapproving agreement, " _Why?_ "

" _They're doing it again._ " I hissed suspiciously, " _They're using Support Shots every turn again._ "

" _They're cowards._ _They can hardly call themselves fighters._ " Lythro snarled viciously.

" _That's not the point._ " I barked back, " _This tournament doesn't allow Support Shot refills. They shouldn't have any left at this point._ " I narrowed my eyes as I watched the team return victorious. " _That's suspicious…_ "

I continued to watch them while the rest of the fifth-round battles completed. Then, right before we were called for our next battle, I saw it. Someone snuck into the waiting area on foot, carrying a familiar pack and delivering it to the team. I smirked sadistically.

" _So that's it, then._ " I purred, grinning at my discovery, " _Excellent._ "

Back in the arena, my team was showing obvious signs of fatigue. Lophus spent the entire time on four legs, and her fighter's orders were softer and strained. Dimetro appeared to be staggering as he moved around sluggishly, and his fighter's voice was a tired drone. Lythro and I were the only ones not showing any sign of fatigue. The Neutral-type carnivore stood proudly between his exhausted teammates, and my commands were as firm as ever.

"All right, Lythro! Let's finish this quick!" I commanded, "Hypno Tail!"

Lythro roared and spun around, slamming his tail into the Cerato that was rushing toward him. He then charged into the weakened Earth-type, mimicking Gorgo's Shoulder Tackle, and defeated it. He then looked over at Lophus and Dimetro to find them pressed together as they tried to fend off the opposing Goyo and Ankylo. The Air- and Water-type vivosaurs were taking advantage of their exhausted opponents. Lythro and I weren't having it.

" _Now, Lythro._ " I growled quietly, " _Finish Goyo._ "

Lythro nodded and silently flanked the distracted Air-type. For a large, brilliantly-white carnivore with bright red scars, he was a surprisingly adept ambush predator. He quickly closed his jaws around the small Air-type and crushed it, sending it back to its fighter. With the faster opponent out of the way and the LP Recovery Support Shots giving them a boost, Lophus and Dimetro converged on the last remaining opponent.

"Lophus! Battering Ram!"

Dimetro! Ground Strike!"

Lophus and Dimetro both slammed into the armored Water-type, forcing it into the ground. Ankylo lay there briefly before disappearing in a flash of light. The vivosaurs and their fighters sighed as we returned to the waiting area.

"Just one more round to go…" Spike muttered with relief.

"We're almost there…" Gauss agreed, smiling gently at us, "We can do this."

"Agreed." I said, watching as the remaining teams entered the arena, "I'll be right back."

"Tria?! Where are you going?!" Gauss called after me as I left my Bone Buggy.

"Maybe she needs to use the bathroom." Spike suggested, shrugging indifferently.

I ignored both of them, darting into the shadows of the waiting area as I deactivated my holographic disguise. I waited in the darkness and watched the door leading into the parking lot. From the few glances I sent toward the screen showing the battle in the arena, I saw the team using their illegally-replenished Support Shots. They would quickly run out, expecting to get a new supply before the final battle. I chuckled to myself as the battle ended and the supplier appeared at the door, waiting for the team to return. As if I'd let that happen.

"Hello there." I said as I jumped down in front of the guy with the Support Shots, "May I ask what you are doing here?"

"N-Nothing!" the guy stuttered, attempting to hide the Support Shots behind his back, "I'm just…here to see my friends! I wanna wish them luck for the final!"

"I'm sure you can do that from the stands." I replied, approaching the human as he backed away from me, "Only fighters involved in the tournament are allowed back here. I must ask you to leave before I have to remove you myself."

"H-Hold up, Commander Tria!" the human stuttered, dropping his delivery before tripping over it as he continued to back away from me, "I-If only fighters in the tournament are allowed back here, why are you here?"

I smirked at the human, winking at him knowingly, before shoving him out with my wing. He paused briefly at the door when I called out to him, just barely managing to catch the Support Shots I had picked up and thrown to him.

"I trust we won't have any more problems with this 'fixed' tournament." I told him, my indirect warning not lost on him, "Go back to the stands and stay there. You will not interfere any longer."

"Y-Yes ma'am!" the guy stuttered again before turning around and bolting out of the waiting area.

"Ma'am?" I repeated as I returned to my team, "What am I, some old lady?"

I returned to my Bone Buggy and reactivated my holographic disguise before getting in and smiling at my teammates.

"Feeling better, Tria?" Spike asked me, his head resting on his hand.

"Much." I replied simply.

"You got back just in time, Tria." Gauss informed me, "They're about to call us for the final round."

"The final round." I repeated, smirking, "I think this'll be easy."

"Easy?" Spike asked, arching an eyebrow at me.

"How so?" Gauss added, also curious.

"Just a hunch." I replied vaguely, my confident smirk still in place as we drove into the arena with our final opponents. The opposing team was clearly freaking out, their eyes wide as they talked desperately amongst themselves.

Dimetro and Edapho collided with each other, the ancient enemies grappling with vengeful ferocity. Lophus faced off against the toxic Jiango, her experience with Rocky's vivosaur letting her to know the other herbivore's weaknesses. Meanwhile, Lythro clashed with the opposing Tarbo, his own experiences sparring with Liu Ren's partner at the Vivosaur Gym giving him an advantage.

"Lythro! Head Shredder!" I commanded, ready for this tournament to be over. Lythro roared and sung his head under Tarbo's chin, throwing it into a weak stance.

" _Now…_ " I snarled, grinning sadistically, " _Slice and Dice!_ "

Lythro bellowed, his thunderous voice shaking the Stadium. He swung his bladed head around, striking the Air-type carnivore with his horns over and over again. He then grabbed Tarbo's neck and threw it toward its fighter, watching it disappear in a flash of light. I smirked proudly as Lythro howled.

"Dimetro! Toxic Aura!" Spike ordered, also ready for this battle to end. Dimetro growled and unleashed a sickening purple aura, poisoning Edapho.

"Now! Chaos Spiral!" Spike ordered next, his tone becoming unusually vicious. Dimetro roared and reared up before spinning around and slamming repeatedly into the sailed Air-type. Edapho screamed in pain before disappearing, just as Tarbo had.

"Lophus! Face Slapper! Knock it on its back!" Gauss called to her vivosaur. Lophus whistled challengingly and smacked Jiango's chin, flipping it onto its spined back. With its weaker stomach exposed, Gauss gave her next orders.

"Now! Butt Strike!"

Lophus laughed and jumped up onto the vulnerable herbivore, just as she had with Goyle in round five. She drove the Water-type into the ground, jumping off as it disappeared in a familiar flash of light.

"We won!" Spike cheered proudly as we stood in the lobby again, "And we didn't detect even the slightest hint of cheating!" He then sighed, sounding disappointed. "Kinda anticlimactic, actually."

"The stress of such a long tournament was much higher than anticipated." Gauss stated, resting a hand on her chest as she breathed deeply.

"You guys did great!" I praised them, smiling proudly as my tail thrashed.

"So did you, Tria." Spike told me, "We really owe you one."

"That Lythro of yours really impressed me." Gauss stated, "He didn't appear to tire at all."

"He didn't." I replied, "He battles many times in a row all the time. That's why I chose him, actually."

"Right. You'd said you had the 'perfect vivosaur' for this tournament." Spike recalled idly.

"You had also said that he'd found a place of his own." Gauss remembered.

"That's right." I replied, grinning, "The Vivosaur Gym in Fossil Park America. He stays there and spars with anyone who trains there. That's why I chose him for this marathon tournament; he's used to fighting many opponents in a row without rest or Support Shots."

"Wow…That is impressive." Spike said, whistling.

"That sounds like as excellent training method." Gauss stated as she adjusted her glasses.

"It is." I agreed, before added, "But it's not what he's there. He found that place after my death simply because he enjoys battling so much. His strength and stamina are simply a by-product of his doing what he enjoys."

Spike and Gauss glanced at each other as I turned back toward the Stadium entrance.

"Thank you for asking me to join you in this investigation, but I'm afraid I must be getting back to Fossil Park Asia. It's about time for my daily treatment." I smiled at the Red Fang and Green Wave members. "I'll see you both later. Tell Aggro and Lancelot I said hi."

"Will do." Spike said, smirking back at me.

"Thank you for your assistance, Tria." Gauss said gratefully as she returned my smile.

I then left the Stadium and returned Lythro to the Vivosaur Gym before heading back to Asia for my daily dose of light energy. I also needed to rest in preparation for tonight's meeting.


	57. The Hidden Ally

The darkened dig site had seen its fair share of secrets. The secret nature of a Warden prodigy, the secret plight of a corrupted guardian, and now, darkest of all, the secret meeting between a powerful Commander and her dark little spy.

A dark Bone Buggy sped through the shadows of Starry Falls, maneuvering easily over the rough terrain as it deviated from the beaten path used by the Wardens and civilians of the Fossil Parks. The dark blue-and-black Turf Shredder moved with urgent purpose, its driver desperate to reach his destination. He reached the set meeting place, a small hidden clearing beyond the waterfall near the tyrannosaurus rex hatchlings. The Turf Shredder then stopped, hidden in the shadows of the trees, and the driver stepped out into the feeble starlight to meet his chosen leader.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice." the driver said, speaking to the darkness, "I know it couldn't have been easy, with your injuries."

" _My injuries are nothing._ " a growl emanated from the shadows of the clearing. In the low light, a glowing golden eye opened, the light blue iris narrowing as the creature observed the human. The Commander of the Vivosaurs reverted to her true form and walked into the clearing to face her ally properly. "What's this urgent matter you needed to discuss with me, Luca?"

Luca Palladino glanced at the ground, clenching his fists and cringing as he trembled. He was clearly disturbed.

"Mikasi's after something." he said at last, looking directly at the half-dinaurian, "I don't know what it is, but he claims that it'll 'solve all our problems'. The group's mission has always been to overthrow the Wardens, so I know it has something to do with that."

"He's after something?" the Commander muttered, tapping her wing-claw against her chin, "Any idea where this 'something' is?"

Luca shook his head. "Not exactly, Commander Tria." He then thought for a moment added, "I do know that it's relatively near one of the Fossil Parks, and that it's somewhere remote despite that, but that's about it."

"Near, yet remote?" Tria repeated, eyes thoughtful, "That sounds like an odd combination." She then looked at the silver-eyed male closely, as if sizing him up. "Any sign they're on to you?"

"None that I've noticed.' Luca replied, but he looked nervous. Tria narrowed her eyes at the boy, but didn't say anything more. She simply reached into her pocket and pulled out two coin-like objects before looking at Luca directly again.

"Think you'll be going with Mikasi to retrieve this 'something'?" Tria asked, tilting her head at the boy.

"I don't know." Luca replied honestly, "Mikasi told us he'd be going soon, and I saw him getting ready for a major move, but he hasn't told anyone what he's after or where it is. If I, or any of us, are allowed to go on this mission, we're gonna be kept in the dark the whole time."

"I see…" Tria growled, not liking how the human was behaving, "I don't like this one bit. There's still too much we don't know."

"I'm sorry, Commander." Luca apologized, "If I was a little braver, I might've been able to-"

"And if you were caught, I wouldn't have any of this information." Tria interrupted, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder as he looked up at her smiling face, "I wasn't complaining about you, Luca. This whole situation is sitting wrong with me, but none of it is your fault. I am very grateful for all you've done."

Luca smiled at the half-dinaurian, her words easing his mind. He then looked down at his hand as the two coins Tria had taken from her pocket were placed there.

"What-?" he started to ask.

"One of those is yours. I'll let you choose which one." Tria told him, letting the boy hold them up and examine them, "The other is for you to keep in secret until you find an ally to give it to. I'm sure you'll find that ally soon."

"Th-These are…?!"

"I trust you'll know how to use them." Tria said, smiling confidently as she squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, "Consider them a gift for risking so much to help me, and the Wardens, despite failing the Test."

"It wasn't the Wardens' fault that I'd failed." Luca replied, glaring at the memory of the group he'd been coaxed into joining, "It's stupid that they're blaming the Wardens because they were too weak to pass the final test."

"You would've passed." Tria stated, catching Luca by surprise, "If your partner hadn't brought you down. Your test wasn't fair to you."

Luca shrugged. "It is what it is. Besides, if I hadn't failed, I wouldn't've been able to spy for you, would I?"

"That is true…" Tria growled before shaking her head, "No matter. You guys might wanna get back before the rest of the group notices you're gone."

"Right…" Luca mumbled absently as he looked at the coins in his hand before jolting and looking at the Commander, "Wait, what do you mean 'guys'?"

Tria didn't answer, simply leaping onto a nearby branch. She then smiled and winked at him.

"Good luck, my friend. I'm counting on you." she said to Luca before darting back into the darkness, disappearing just as she had appeared. Luca stared in the direction she had disappeared into before jumping as he heard footsteps on the grass behind him.

"She's right, you know." a recognizable voice said, "It won't be long before our absence is noticed. We really should get back."

"Acacius…" Luca whispered in dread as he turned to face the taller male, "How long have you been there?"

"Since you told Commander Tria that Mikasi was after something." Acacius answered, standing before Luca and crossing his arms. Even without his black suit and red tie, choosing instead to wear a red shirt and black pants to follow his companion, he was still intimidating. "So, this is where you've been sneaking off to. It's annoying, you know, having you disappear all the time."

Luca glared at Acacius, not knowing what to say without giving away more than he already had. Acacius noticed the fear in Luca's eyes and placed a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder, just as Tria had.

"Relax, Lu. I'm not going to tell." he said gently, smiling at the shocked look on Luca's face, "I agree with you. Holding a grudge against the Wardens because we couldn't make it in is foolish. Also, this Mikasi fellow really makes my skin crawl. He's got something going on, something I don't want any part of."

"Then why did you urge me to come with you?" Luca asked, backing away from the other boy, "Why did you join at all?"

"I joined because Angel joined." Acacius answered easily, "My sister and I have never been apart, so wherever she goes, I go. As for you, well…" He trailed off and looked away before adding sheepishly, "I wanted you around. I found myself enjoying your company, so I thought that joining this little band would be more tolerable if you were there, too." The rich-raised male sighed as he looked at Luca apologetically. "I'm sorry, Luca. I know I should've left you out of this. I knew something was up with Mikasi. But I didn't. I was selfish. I didn't want to lose my new friend."

Luca stared at Acacius in shock, his mouth hanging open. Acacius began looking more and more uncomfortable until he finally couldn't take it and turned away.

"You know what. Forget it. Forget I said anything." he said hastily, starting to walk away, "I won't give you away, I promise. Just get back soon, before-"

"I'm your friend?" Luca asked, startling the other male into silence. Acacius stopped walking and turned back to face the smaller boy.

"Yes." he replied, "At least, I thought you were."

"I didn't think you liked me." Luca admitted, looking at the dark, grassy ground, "I didn't think you liked anyone."

"Yeah. I get that a lot." Acacius replied, nodding slightly, "I don't show emotion well. Never have." He shook his head, his copper hair shimmering in the starlight. "Look, I don't expect you to forgive me for dragging you into this. I'll leave you be."

"Acacius, wait!" Luca called, running after his companion. He stopped in front of the copper-haired male, looking up at the wary copper eyes evenly. "Look, I'm not exactly the nicest guy, either. I'm also not comfortable hanging around Mikasi. But I don't regret joining." He smiled at Acacius. "You've already seen that I'm a spy for Commander Tria. I wouldn't've be able to do that if I hadn't joined. And ya know…" He held out one of the two coins to Acacius. "I would really like your help. We could work together to help Commander Tria."

Acacius took the coin and turned it over in his hand. He looked at the hopeful smile on Luca's face, then at the medal again, then into the darkness.

"Do you think she'll accept me?" he finally asked hesitantly, "Being a spy is dangerous, and there's so much on the line…"

"She accepts you." Luca replied confidently, smiling at Acacius, "You'd know if she didn't."

How-?" Acacius started to ask, but stopped when he realized that Luca wasn't smiling at him; he was smiling at something behind him. The copper male turned around hesitantly to face the darkness, and was met with the sight of a pair of glowing golden eyes looking down at them, the creature they belonged to towering over them. Acacius jolted, his usual composure shaken by the Commander's sudden appearance. He'd seen her display at the Warden Test, had witnessed her power, but even that hadn't prepared him for the intimidation she had at close proximity. He backed away slightly as Luca stepped in front of him.

"That was cruel, Commander Tria." he addressed her easily, "You knew Acacius was eavesdropping, yet you did nothing to warn me."

" _You are no better, little one._ " the half-dinaurian growled back, making Acacius shudder slightly, " _You knew I was here, yet you did nothing to warn your companion._ "

"I learned from the best." Luca replied with a laugh, earning him a look of confusion from Acacius. He glanced back at his friend before looking up at Tria again. "You think Acacius is up for being a spy?"

" _That is your call to make, Luca._ " Tria replied, scanning the taller male standing behind her spy, " _You know him better than I do._ "

"I suppose…" Luca mumbled, more to himself than to either other creature in the clearing. He then nodded and smiled up at the half-dinaurian. "Thank you, Commander. We won't let you down."

"Yeah…" Acacius muttered, much more hesitant around the powerful creature, "We won't fail you."

" _Excellent._ " Tria replied, turning around and darting back into the nocturnal forest, terrifyingly silent for a creature her size. The two males watched her go before Luca looked up at Acacius.

"Come on, Ace. We need to get back."

"Ace?" Acacius repeated, the nickname catching him off guard. He then smiled and chuckled. "Heh. You got it, Lu." He then returned to his red-and-black Digger's Rig and followed Luca's Turf Shredder back to the portal that would return them to their own headquarters, a satisfied smile on his face.


	58. The Last Stronghold

A few days after the stitches in my wings were removed, I was flying around at full strength again. Dart had not made another appearance, likely due to the doses of light energy I'd been getting. I spent much of my time helping train the new Wardens, relaying my past experiences and guiding them. My stress level had also been decreasing, despite everything that was going on. I'd been getting plenty of food and rest, everyone was calming down, and things were beginning to resemble some kind of normalcy.

Which was why, when I saw Olga standing next to the mechanical dinosaur in the Asian plaza with a troubled look on her face, I responded immediately.

"Oh!" Olga gasped, her hand over her chest, before she recovered, "Hello, Tria. I am hesitating to be asking this of you, but I have big favor."

"A favor?" I asked, now curious, "What is it?"

"You heard tale of how Dr. Blackraven made robot to take his place in prison, yes?" she asked. When I nodded, she continued, "Truth be telling, that is not only robot. There is second mechanical man hidden deep inside Neo Black Whale! It has part of Dr. Blackraven's brain alive inside, and it has power to command dark vivosaurs. Very scary, yes?"

"A part of his brain is in the robot?!" I asked, having to swallow my nausea, "You mean that part of Dr. Blackraven is still alive?!"

Olga nodded, looking as terrified as I felt. "I am wishing to find nasty robot and making with the plug pulling before it causes mischief. You will help me do this, yes?"

"Of course!" I answered immediately, "I have regained my strength, and I am ready to finish this bastard off once and for all!"

"Ah! Many thanks!" Olga cried happily, clapping her hands together in joy and relief, "Mission is sure to be smashing success so long as Tria is with me!"

I smiled, feeling proud at the woman's confidence in my abilities. I looked behind me as another voice was heard from the Garage.

"You'll need more help than that."

"Moldy borscht!" Olga gasped in surprise, "Kowloon!"

"You two aren't the only ones worried about that robot, you know." Kowloon stated, coming up to stand beside me and crossing his arms.

"I see!" Olga said, looking at her former teammate knowingly, "You wish to make amends for past wrong-doings by smashing robot into tiny pieces, yes?" She chuckled lightly. "All right. We will allow you to join merry band."

"As if." Kowloon snorted, glancing at me before looking away, "This is a dangerous mission. I'm going to assist my alpha."

"Thank you, Kowloon." I said to him, smiling gratefully. I then turned around and made my way to the Garage, "The Neo Black Whale is still floating off the coast of Paradise Beach. There is no portal leading there, so I'll carry you both."

"Are you sure, Alpha?" Kowloon asked, watching me with concern.

"Should you not be resting, Tria? This will be mighty battle." Olga informed me.

"I'll be fine." I replied as I led them both through the portal and took my battle form, " _You two aren't enough to tire me out, and I can move far more quickly than any Bone Buggy. There's no time to lose!_ "

" _As you wish, Alpha._ " Kowloon accepted my argument, leaping onto my back easily. Olga looked at me nervously before hesitantly getting on behind Kowloon. She gripped his waist tightly as I stood up before letting Kowloon guide her hands to grip my mane. His grip on her hands remained strong as I took off, gliding smoothly over the rookie dig site before catching the wind off the ocean and speeding up.

" _Tell me something, you two._ " I growled back to the human and half-human on my back, " _Do either of you know what this robot is capable of?_ "

Olga and Kowloon looked at each other uneasily.

"Not exactly, Alpha." Kowloon answered, "The doctor didn't specify what its purpose was."

"He did mentioning something about dark energy model." Olga mumbled as she gripped Kowloon's waist again, "I am not knowing much else."

"Just that it's really strong." Kowloon agreed, not removing the nervous woman's arms this time.

" _A dark energy model?_ " I repeated, not liking the sound of that. I began my descent when the Neo Black Whale came into view and hovered directly over it.

"Oh! I am forgetting!" Olga gasped, sounding embarrassed, "The latch is tightly shut! How are we to be getting in?!"

"Leave that to me." Kowloon chuckled, pulling out a remote and pushing a button on it. Just like that, the latch opened, allowing me to fly in. "As if I'd leave this place without taking a few souvenirs."

"Oh ho ho! Kowloon is most clever!" Olga cheered, and Kowloon smirked proudly.

" _Very well done, Kowloon._ " I purred to my packmate as I flew rapidly through the submarine. I tried not to think about the last time I'd flown through these hallways, the feeling of racing toward my death. I snarled viciously and I darted through the doors, still in disrepair from when I had crashed through them on my first visit, as a familiar scent filled my nose.

"Robot should be in most out-of-way room." Olga stated.

" _I can smell it._ " I growled, baring my teeth in a disgusted snarl, " _It's in the heart of the submarine. Where I fought the Dreadsaurus._ "

"Typical of Dr. Blackraven." Kowloon growled hatefully. I felt his legs tighten around my neck, and I purred again so he could feel it.

Once I reached the room at the core of the Neo Black Whale, I landed and allowed my passengers to dismount. I remained in my battle form, knowing that a fight would be inevitable, as Olga and Kowloon looked around the dark chamber.

"Oy." Olga gasped as she looked around warily, "Evil robot should be in hanger somewhere…"

"Keep on your guard, Olga." Kowloon informed the woman, "Knowing the doctor, he's bound to have some trick up his sleeve."

Catching movement off to my side, I faced a specific area of the chamber wall, pulling Olga and Kowloon to my side with my wings.

"Sputnik's ghost!" Olga cried in surprise, "What is happening?!"

"Sounds like our mechanical friend doesn't like unexpected guests." Kowloon stated calmly as the zigzag in the wall opened, just as it had to reveal the Dreadsaurus when I'd last entered the chamber. This time, however, in place of the large, dark therizinosaur, was a robot with a sickeningly-familiar appearance.

"Ha ha ha." the robot laughed, the mechanical voice holding the familiar tone of the mad doctor, "So nice to see you again, Tria. And you were kind enough to bring my lieutenants with you."

"We're not your lieutenants anymore, Dr. Blackraven!" Kowloon roared at his former boss.

"Never again will you make with the washbraining of Olga Stroganoff!" Olga yelled at the conscious robot, who just laughed.

"Foolish creatures! I am Dr. Blackraven! None can stand before me!" he called out as he turned his robotic eye to his former lieutenants, "Kowloon! Stroganoff! You will help me conquer the world! Ha ha ha ha ha!" The chamber then began to shake as the robot Blackraven was controlling grew in size and took on a warped appearance.

"What's going on?!" Kowloon yelled fearfully, "Alpha?!"

" _Mad robot…_ " I growled, voice heavy with dread, " _You knew what would happen to you if you absorbed the dark energy all along, yet you were still willing to go through with it?!_ "

"HA HA HA HA!" more laughter left the corrupted form, "DON'T LIKE IT? TOO BAD! NOW I, DREADRAVEN, WILL DESTROY ALL OF YOU!"

The Dreadraven was a creature like nothing I'd ever seen. It had long crocodilian jaws with three sharp teeth at the ends and three more teeth lining each side of the upper jaws. Its body was dark purple with a red stomach, and it had white tentacle-like spines protruding from its back. It stood on two legs, its golden claws splayed, and its arms had two white claws on each hand. It also had wing-like limbs extending from its shoulders, each one bearing a glowing pink eyespot. It had three eyes on each side of its head, with a seventh eye inside its mouth. There were two other eyespots on its chest, along with a triangular protrusion that made it resemble Blackraven's face. I took a battle stance against the massive robotic monstrosity as Kowloon and Olga released Zinodious and Gorgostroika. Olga also sent out her poisonous Angato, and Kowloon sent out a vivosaur he'd started training after seeing Olga battle in the Warden Test: the Water-type Spino. I stood proudly between their dark vivosaurs and shrieked my challenge to the monster before me.

The two sailed vivosaurs rushed forward, their lack of experience with the madman preventing the apprehension that was present in the movements of Zinodious and Gorgostroika. The two dark vivosaurs followed in the wake of their non-corrupted teammates, heading directly at the massive robot while Spino and Angato flanked it. I leapt into the air, hovering over Dreadraven as I watched for an opening.

"Spino!" Kowloon yelled to his newest vivosaur.

"Angato!" Olga called to her own companion.

"Head Swipe!" they both ordered in unison. The two sailed vivosaurs roared and jumped at the robot, latching their jaws onto its wings and attempting to drag it downward. Dreadraven bellowed and shook them off, sending them both staggering backward.

"YOU FOOLS!" Dreadraven thundered tauntingly, "YOU THINK YOU CAN BRING ME DOWN SO EASILY?!"

"Where'd be the fun in that?" Kowloon called back, his sadistic nature showing through, "Zinodious! Slashing Upper!"

The dark therizinosaur growled in a vivosaurian chuckle and darted underneath his fighter's former master. He then leapt upward and spun around, knocking the huge robot into a weakened stance before landing in his own defensive one.

"Gorgostroika! Shoulder Tackle!" Olga ordered, taking advantage of the opening provided. Gorgostroika roared, enraged, and charged forward, slamming into Dreadraven and sending it staggering backward.

" _We have you now!_ " I roared as I shot toward the face on the robot's chest, activating my Blinding Strike as I crashed into the robot and pushed it onto its back.

"HA HA HA!" Dreadraven laughed as it rolled easily to its feet, "AS IF! I AM UNBEATABLE! I WILL NEVER FALL, ESPECIALLY TO THE LIKES OF YOU!" It then crouched down and fired a rain of poisoned spikes from the tentacles on its back. I moved backward, grabbing Olga and Kowloon as I did so.

" _Get back, everyone!_ " I commanded the vivosaurs. All four of them pressed themselves against the wall, just as I had, and that gave Dreadraven an opening.

"FOOLS!" it bellowed as it charged and fired a blast of energy for the eye in its mouth, "FEEL MY JUDGEMENT!"

I snarled resentfully and leapt upward, still carrying Olga and Kowloon. Zinodious and Gorgostroika each darted to the side, evading the attack, but Spino and Angato, with their lack of experience, weren't quick enough. They disappeared in flashes of light and returned to their fighters. Dreadraven laughed again as I landed, setting the humans down as the dark vivosaurs returned to my side.

"You'll pay for that." Kowloon growled, his hatred for the man controlling the robot making it hard to believe he'd once loyally followed him in his quest for world domination.

"I am not believing this!" Olga cried as she stared at the monster fearfully, "We must make with the stopping of this right away!"

" _I couldn't agree more._ " I growled, taking my battle stance once again, " _Prepare yourselves! We must end this, and end it soon!_ "

"HA HA HA! YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!" Dreadraven called to us, "I KNOW ALL OF YOUR WEAKNESSES! I KNOW HOW YOU STILL STRUGGLE WITH THE DARK ENERGY YOU USED TO DESRTOY MY BODY, TRIA! AND I KNOW THE SOURCES OF YOUR PAIN, TOO, ZINODIOUS AND GORGOSTROIKA!"

I felt the two dark vivosaurs tense, and I spread my wings over them to remind them of my presence.

"ZINODIOUS!" Dreadraven addressed the long-clawed vivosaur, "THE SOURCE OF YOUR DARK ENERGY IS THE RAGE AND HATRED YOU FEEL FOR HUMANS! YOU SAW HOW THEY HURT YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE BROTHER, AND YOUR DESIRE TO PROTECT HIM AND TAKE VENGEANCE ON THE HUMANS THAT OUTCASTED HIM BECAME PERFECT FUEL FOR THE DARK ENERGY!"

" _Shut up, insolent rodent!_ " Zinodious roared, infuriated. I didn't understand why the dark vivosaur was so angry until I saw the look of absolute shock on Kowloon's face.

" _Zinodious?_ " he asked, suddenly looking younger as he gazed up at his larger packmate, " _Is that true?_ "

Zinodious' red eyes glanced down at his human brother before turning away.

" _Forget about it, little brother._ " the vivosaur snarled, this time in embarrassment, " _Focus on this battle._ "

Kowloon continued to stare up at Zinodious for a moment longer before facing Dreadraven and placing a hand on his vivosaur brother's leg. " _Thank you, Zinodious._ "

"GORGOSTROIKA!" Dreadraven boomed, causing the larger carnivore to jolt, her blue eyes wide with fear, "YOUR DARK ENERGY IS FUELED BY THE PAIN AND SORROW AT SEEING YOUR BELOVED FIGHTER SUFFER! YOU BORE WITNESS TO HER BRAINWASHING, SAW HER COMMIT TERRIBLE CRIMES ON MY ORDERS, AND HEARD HER CRY WHEN SHE REALIZED WHAT SHE HAD DONE! YOU FELT HOW SHE HATED HERSELF, AND THE DESPAIR THAT CAUSED IN YOU ALLOWED THE DARK ENERGY TO FLOURISH!"

" _Be silent!_ " Gorgostroika bellowed, her voice pained. She then looked down at her foot to lock eyes with Olga, whose eyes were shining with guilt.

"Gorgostroika…" she whispered, reaching up to stroke the carnivore's snout as Gorgostroika leaned down to her, "I am sorry. You have suffered most terribly. Please be forgiving me."

Gorgostroika purred gently as she nuzzled her fighter, closing her eyes blissfully as she felt Olga's arms wrap around her muzzle. All of us turned back to the massive robot when we heard it make a gagging sound.

"BLEH! SAVE THAT DISGUSTING DISPLAY FOR SOMEPLACE ELSE!" it bellowed angrily, "THIS IS A BATTLEFIELD!" It then chuckled ominously. "NOT THAT IT MATTERS ANYWAY. I WILL SOON END ALL OF YOUR PATHETIC LIVES! THOSE WHO REFUSE TO SERVE ME DO NOT DESERVE TO EXIST!"

" _We'll see about that!_ " I shrieked as I darted down from the place I had taken above the mad robot, " _It is you who shouldn't exist!_ " I landed on the crocodilian jaws of my opponent, blocking the flow of energy it'd been preparing, before being shaken off by the explosion as the built-up energy detonated inside the robot's jaws. Smoke rose from the robot's mouth as I jumped back to stand with my team, growling threateningly.

"Let us show him our fullest power, Gorgostroika!" Olga yelled, furious, "Deadly Fangs!"

Gorgostroika roared, her blue eyes gleaming with her rage, and charged forward, grabbing the robot's arm and throwing it upward.

" _We won't take this, Zinodious!_ " Kowloon snarled viciously, his eyes narrowing dangerously, " _Toxic Rush!_ "

Zinodious growled in affirmation and shot forward as well, claws darkening as the toxic hatred gathered in a deadly poison. He struck the robot's chest, just as I had done, before jumping back. Dreadraven shook off both attacks and glared at all of us, the glow of its bright pink eyes intensifying.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH DEFYING ME?!" it screamed, infuriated. It swung its head around, swatting the two dark vivosaurs away from it before righting itself. "YOU WILL REGRET THIS! I WILL END YOU NOW!" It then opened its jaws again, charging a familiar darkness as it took aim at Olga and Kowloon.

" _Kowloon! Olga!_ " I roared, trying to reach my companions, but I soon found myself slammed into the wall by the same jaws that pushed back the robot's previous attackers. I watched in horror as the two humans stared at the attack that would surely bring their deaths, unable to move, before they were pushed back by their dark partners. Zinodious and Gorgostroika stood protectively in front of their fighters, glaring at the dark energy that was gathering in the robot's jaws.

"Gorgostroika?! What are you doing?!" Olga cried.

"Are you mad, Zinodious?!" Kowloon yelled, "You can't take any more dark energy! It'll destroy you!"

" _We know._ " Zinodious and Gorgostroika said in unison, nodding at each other before glancing back at their fighters.

" _Little brother._ " Zinodious addressed Kowloon, " _The madman spoke the truth. My darkness was fueled by my resentment of the humans that caused you so much pain._ " He smiled down at the shocked human. " _I remember when our pack found you, abandoned in Autumn Garden and barely able to move. You were so small and fragile, but you had such a fire in you. From that day on, I swore to myself that I would never let your fire be extinguished. If it costs me my heart, my soul, my life, I will protect you, just as I always have, little brother._ "

" _Olga._ " Gorgostroika spoke up, " _Remember when we first met? You'd seen me struggling against another member of my own kind. He would've killed me if you hadn't intervened. I had been so lonely before I met you, without anyone to turn to, without a single friend._ " The carnivore smiled at the tearful woman. " _You saved me, Olga, so now I will give my life to protect you. That is a promise._ "

" _Look after our alpha, Kowloon. She'll take care of you._ "

" _Serve well with the Wardens, Olga. The Commander will help you._ "

"Zinodious!"

"Gorgostroika!"

The despairing voices of Kowloon and Olga echoed across the chamber as Dreadraven fired the blast of dark energy at Zinodious and Gorgostroika, the roar of the blast drowning out everything else. The impact shook the entire submarine, the humans watching their beloved vivosaur partners be consumed by the darkness that corrupted them. From the center of the impact, Zinodious and Gorgostroika stared into their fate, unable even to shield their eyes as they watched, completely stunned.

" _Wrath of the Guardian._ "

A massive explosion followed the attack's collision. Zinodious and Gorgostroika flew backward, crashing into the wall behind Kowloon and Olga. As their fighters ran to them, the vivosaurs raised their heads to stare at the light before them. The humans turned to look as well, and gasped at the sight before them. The dark energy had been blocked by the light from within me. I stood in front of my teammates, the power of my Boost Skill just barely managing to keep the attack at bay. I grunted as my external struggle with Dreadraven combined with my internal struggle.

" _Alpha!_ " Kowloon and Zinodious screamed in unison.

" _Commander!_ " Gorgostroika roared in distress.

"Tria!" Olga cried in terror.

" _Go!_ " I screeched back to them, " _All of you! Get out of here now!_ "

" _No way!_ " Gorgostroika roared back, sounding insulted.

"We will not be leaving you, Tria!" Olga called to me.

" _We are not abandoning you, Alpha!_ " Kowloon barked back.

" _We're going to help you!_ " Zinodious told me.

" _You don't understand…_ " I gasped, my voice becoming a desperate whine, " _I can't…much…_ " I then screamed as the darkness overwhelmed my light. Through my agony, I heard another noise, a siren just as loud and panic-inducing as my own screams. I then hit the floor as everything went dark.

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Frett and Prescott were driving around Frozen Wastes, enjoying the afternoon, when they both got the alert on their phones. Their eyes went wide and they immediately turned around, driving back the Fossil Park Europe at full speed.

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Violet had been on the Crystal Ball +1, watching a scene only she could see. She then spontaneously got up and drove back to her Fossil Park, getting there just as the alarm on her phone sounded.

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Dahlia had been racing in a Time Attack at Winding Road. She got the alert on her phone and, with one glance at it, sped over the finish line without stopping. She didn't even notice the record she'd set as she sped back to the Parks, her breathing just short of hyperventilating as panic filled her eyes.

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Drake had been sitting in his office filling out some paper work. He jumped when he got the alert, and his breath hitched in panic as he rushed out of his office and through the World Gate, followed closely by his subordinates.

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Daisy and Becky had just been returning from a routine check-in with the tyrannosaurus hatchlings. They both got the alerts simultaneously and simultaneously freaked out as they rushed back to Fossil Park America as fast as their Heavy Haulers could go.

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Leon had been in the Vivosaur Gym, training with Lucky as they tag-teamed against Lythro. As soon as the alarm on his phone sounded, Leon swore violently and jumped on Ptera's back, the pterosaur carrying him to the entrance. He caught his two Dino Gears and rushed out before Lucky or Lythro had any idea what had happened.

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Sean had been meeting with Aggro, Lancelot, and Dino Gigante to discuss upcoming tournaments in the Fossil Shop café. He was running the moment he heard his phone go off, his pace doubling when he saw the color indicated. He didn't even look back at the confused yells from his friends.

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Hanzo had been training with his brother in Autumn Garden. They'd both felt something ominous in the wind, and the moment the alert came in on Hanzo's phone, they both disappeared in sequential puffs of smoke, heading for Fossil Park Asia.

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Mei Lian had been training at Xuan Wu Peak, venting frustration as she often did in the afternoon. Through her V-raptor's shrieks, she almost didn't hear the alarm on her phone, but as soon as she saw the message, she broke off her training and sped off the high plateau, launching her Speed Demon off the peak without a second thought as she hurried desperately for the Fossil Park.

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Penny, Nate, and Roland had just been finishing the storytelling portion of a tour in the Fossil Stadium, the kids climbing on Stego's back as usual. Their phones sounded simultaneously, and as soon as they realized what the alert meant, they rushed out of the Stadium without a word to the parents or teachers.

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Liu Ren had been meditating in the Earth Dragon's cave. The Earth Dragon had warned his creator that something was wrong, but it wasn't until the Asian leader was halfway back to the Park that the alert came in on his phone. When it did, he floored the accelerator.

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Nibbles had been training with Gorgo, Diplo, and Thalasso, his desire to protect Tria driving him to become stronger. Right as he landed after a clash with Thalasso, he received the alert on his own pager, which he'd been given after establishing himself as an independent vivosaur. His green eyes widened in horror and he took off, not even recalling his teammates as he headed for the beach.

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Professor Little had been in his lab with Yamamoto when the alert came across his numerous computer screens. The room glowed red, and the young prodigy rushed out of the lab with his assistant close behind, neither one bothering to turn off the alarms in their haste.

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Elric had been meeting with Captain Stryker to discuss the progress with Tria's light energy treatment. Their eyes filled with horror at the simultaneous alarms, knowing what had to have happened in order for the device to have alerted them. They both rushed out of the office, joining the rush of Wardens as the entire organization converged in Fossil Park Asia and, together, made a beeline for Paradise Beach.

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Kowloon and Olga stared at Tria as the dust from the explosion settled, their eyes wide and terrified. Zinodious and Gorgostroika got back up and stood protectively in front of their fighters once more as the half-dinaurian slowly rose to her feet. The loud siren was still sounding, seeming to originate from her left wrist where the dark energy detector was. The humans and vivosaurs all gasped, horrified, when the dinaurian's eyes opened to reveal the glowing red that was the dark energy's signature. From the corrupted robot, a menacing laugh was heard.

"HA HA HA! WELL, THIS SEEMS TO HAVE TURNED OUT QUITE WELL FOR ME." Dreadraven said smugly, "NOW THAT THE DARK ENERGY HAS A HOLD OF TRIA, SHE HAS BECOME MY PAWN!" The massive robot lumbered forward and commanded, "NOW, TRIA! TAKE OUT THOSE PATHETIC FOOLS!"

The half-dinaurian looked at the former BR lieutenants and their dark vivosaurs, then back at the Dreadraven as her blood-red eyes narrowed into a vicious glare.

" ** _Who the hell do you think you're talking to, worm?_** " she asked, spreading her darkening wings as she faced the madman threateningly, " ** _You think you can order me around? I'll show you!_** " The half-dinaurian then lunged at the Dreadraven, throwing it backwards effortlessly. She then blasted the robot with her jet-black Devil's Fire before darting forward with her Blind Strike and striking it multiple times before finally settling back on her feet.

"T-Tria…?" Olga spoke up hesitantly, hiding behind Kowloon when he unsheathed his claws. Zinodious and Gorgostroika took up battle stances against the darkening dinaurian. Her color scheme remained the same, despite losing the glow of the light energy, but her eyes told what her scales did not.

" ** _No such luck, human._** " the half-dinaurian said, snorting derisively, " ** _My name is Dart, and if you want my advice, you'll take off like your light-bound friend told you to. You use dark energy like I do, so I have less desire to slaughter you. If you get in my way, though, I will kill you. Your precious alpha can't save you now. Leave before I lose my patience._** "

"D-Dart?" Kowloon muttered, sounding horrified, "Y-You're the side of my alpha that controls dark energy?"

" ** _She told you about me, huh? How nice of her._** " Dart snarled sardonically, " ** _Yes, I am Dark Tria, and now that I am finally free, I'll be damned if I let you seal me away again. So leave while you can, or I'll be forced to kill you._** "

"Shut up, Dart!" Kowloon barked, facing the half-dinaurian that was looking down at him in annoyance, "Tria is my alpha! I will never leave her!"

" _Our alpha never gave up on us, so we won't give up on her!_ " Zinodious growled as he swung his claws at Dart.

" _The Commander protected us from the dark energy, so we must do the same for her!_ " Gorgostroika stated passionately.

"Tria has done much to help us!" Olga declared, her determination sharpening her ice-blue eyes, "Now we will make with the saving of her!"

" ** _You are all fools._** " Dart growled, turning to face them directly, " ** _She told you to run to save you from me. You are just wasting her sacrifice._** " Dart then closed her eyes and shook her head. " ** _But if you really want her death to be in vain, I shall grant your wish._** "

Dart then darted forward, activating her Blind Strike once more as she struck the two dark vivosaurs. Zinodious and Gorgostroika, having already been weakened by their previous fight with Dreadraven, disappeared without a struggle, their Dino Gears returning to their fighters. Kowloon and Olga stared up at the darkened dinaurian. Their mouths open in shock, as Dart glared at them.

" ** _Don't say I didn't warn you._** " she said simply before swatting her tail over their heads and knocking them unconscious, " ** _Maybe the rest of that blasted organization you so staunchly defend will find you once they respond to this accursed device._** " She then looked at her wrist and slammed it on the floor repeatedly, shattering the unseen device before facing her original target, which had only just managed to struggle to its feet again.

"YOU WILL…PAY FOR THAT…TRIA…" Dreadraven rumbled threateningly, glaring at the darkening creature that continued to defy it. Dart returned its glare unflinchingly.

" ** _For the last time, you over-teched rodent…_** " she snarled before opening her jaws and unleashing the Call of Hell, her next words shaking the entire submarine, " ** _MY NAME IS DART!_** "

Dreadraven braced itself on all fours, the shaking knocking it off balance. Dart then unleashed the sickening Condemned Mist, blinding the robot, before striking it once more in its chest. Dreadraven staggered backward before glaring even more viciously.

"YOU WON'T…GET AWAY WITH THIS." Dreadraven growled, the light from its eyes and eyespots brightening with the extreme release of electric energy from the submarine's generators, "IF I'M GOING DOWN, I'M BRINGING YOU WITH ME!" It then released its gathered energy in a massive blast that tore through the thick metal of the Neo Black Whale. "GRAND TEMPEST!"

The blast shot through the submarine's ceiling as Dart flew above the rob, tearing long fissures in the metal and revealing the bright afternoon sky. She landed briefly before leaping into the air again as another blast was sent her way. And this one went through the floor.

" ** _You really are ready to bring us all down, aren't you?_** " Dart asked rhetorically as water began to fill the chamber, " ** _You truly are a foolish creature._** "

"THOSE WHO DEFY ME DO NOT DESERVE TO LIVE!" Dreadraven declared, its voice shaking the distressed sub, "THIS WILL BE YOUR RESTING PLACE, AND I YOUR EXECUTIONER!"

" ** _As if!_** " Dart barked back, spreading her wings defiantly as she darkened into a familiar red-eyed shadow, " ** _Fall to the Curse of the Reaper!_** " She then dashed forward faster than the robot could follow and struck its chest one last time. Dreadraven screamed as the darkness even it couldn't control engulfed it. It then crashed to the floor and lay still as its glowing pink eyes faded.

" ** _Well, that's that._** " Dart said to herself as the inky blackness around her cleared, " ** _I'd better get out of here, or I'm finished, too._** " She then spread her wings and prepared to take off, but another voice stopped her.

" _No!_ " the sound echoed in the dark dinaurian's mind, " _Don't leave them!_ "

" ** _You're still here?_** " Dart asked the voice, " ** _I thought for sure the darkness had snuffed you out this time._** "

" _Not a chance, Dart._ " Tria replied, snarling viciously, " _Don't you dare leave Olga and Kowloon!_ "

" ** _You're the fool now, Tria._** " Dart growled, " ** _If we stay here much longer, we'll drown. We can't get them through that gap, so it's either us or no one. And I don't consider no one an option._** "

" _Heartless monster!_ " Tria roared as her light surged forward, " _Move!_ "

" ** _Hey, wait-!_** " Dart started to bark, but her words were cut off by a scream as the light hiding within her overwhelmed her senses and forced her back into submission.

" ** _You'll regret this, Tria…_** "

" _We'll see about that, Dart._ " Tria replied as she shook her head. She then looked at the water coming up to her ankles and rushed to grab Olga and Kowloon before they drowned. " _She was right, though._ " Tria growled to herself as she looked up at the gap in the ceiling, " _I can't get through there with these two._ " She looked down at the two unconscious humans, now cradled gently in her forearms. " _But I will never give up! I will get us all out of here, and that's a promise!_ "

With those words, she sped through the sinking submarine, flying over the rising water as she made a beeline for the entrance. By the time she reached it, she could barely remain above the water as she hovered. She landed, the water now up to her knees, and shifted both humans onto one forearm while the other reached into her mane.

" _Come on out, my friend!_ " she called as she through the coin-like object into the air, " _I need your help now!_ "

The medal landed in the water as it glowed, followed immediately by a big splash as the creature within it was released. An 8-foot head emerged from the water, the white crocodilian jaws covered with scars. The rest of his body, white with a light blue back, was also covered with scars. The creature narrowed his aquamarine eyes as he looked at the half-dinaurian expectantly.

" _Krona._ " Tria greeted the massive sea reptile, " _Sorry to call you out on such short notice, but my friends and I are in trouble. This submarine will soon be completely underwater, and we need to get out of here before then._ "

" _And what exactly do you want me to do, Tria?_ " Krona asked irritably, " _If I bust this entrance open, all of you will be washed away._ "

" _No. Leave the breaking out to me._ " Tria replied, " _I need you to carry these two. You can keep them from drowning until they get to shore._ "

" _I can._ " Krona affirmed, looking at the two humans still unconscious in Tria's forearms. He then looked back up at his fighter. " _But what about you? After you break through here?_ "

" _I can swim._ " Tria replied confidently. At the incredulous look Krona gave her, she added, " _I won't be alone, either. I have help waiting. Your only task is to get these two back to shore._ "

" _Very well._ " Krona accepted, raising his front flippers in a shrug. As he took the two humans, he noticed something else being placed with them. He looked up to see Tria smiling at him.

" _This'll let the Wardens know you're there. They'll take care of your passengers once you get them to shore._ "

" _Very well._ " Krona repeated, swimming next to the dinaurian as he faced the sealed latch expectantly, " _Ready when you are, Tria._ "

" _Right._ " Tria replied simply, throwing another medal into the water. The creature this one released coiled around the half-dinaurian, his blue-gray serpentine body expertly maneuvered by his four flippers as he raised his horned head to lock his red eyes with Tria's golden ones.

" _Greetings, Tria. It has been far too long._ "

" _Indeed it has, Kaishin._ " Tria greeted the unique vivosaur from her home time, " _I apologize for rushing you, but we are running out of time. I need you to help me blast this latch open._ "

" _Say no more, love._ " the charming serpent said in acceptance as he turned to face the sealed opening, " _We'll have this thing open in no time. You hurry out quickly, now, Krona, or even you may fall prey to the merciless waves of our mother ocean._ "

" _Shut it, water lily._ " Krona snarled back in annoyance, glaring at the other sea vivosaur.

" _Enough, you two!_ " Tria barked at them as the water chilled her chest, " _All right, Kaishin. We're going full power here!_ "

" _You got it, Tria, dear!_ " Kaishin agreed, rearing up as he prepared his Team Skill. Tria charged her own Team Skill, the one she'd learned before even her Boost Skill.

" _Kaishin Strike!_ " Kaishin roared as he slithered toward the latch. Tria flew above him, her wings glowing brilliantly white. As she stopped with a flap of her wings, the blinding silhouette followed Kaishin, adding the half-dinaurian's power to his.

" _Wings of Light!_ "

With the vivosaur and dinaurian's combined power, the heavy metal latch caved and snapped off the Neo Black Whale. Immediately, a rush of water entered the submarine, the halfway-sunken vessel lurching as the new weight increased the rate at which it sank.

" _Now, Krona!_ " Tria roared as the rushing water pushed her against the wall. Krona, with a final concerned glance at the dinaurian, darted out into the ocean, heading quickly for the shoreline that was in his sight. As Tria struggled against the rushing water, another body coiled around her.

" _Come on, love!_ " Kaishin called to his fighter, " _We need to get you out of here!_ "

" _Right…_ " Tria gasped before diving under the rushing water. Using her powerful tail as a rudder, and with the extra pull from Kaishin, she swam through the hatch, now completely submerged, and looked down at the rapidly-sinking submarine.

" _Kaishin…_ " she growled, bubbles rising with her words, " _I want you to investigate that thing. See if you can salvage the robot Blackraven was using to store his consciousness._ "

" _Are you sure, Tria?_ " the sea serpent asked, " _We're still a ways from land. Sure you can make it, love?_ "

" _I'll be fine._ " Tria replied as she made her way toward the surface, " _Just get that robot!_ "

" _As you wish._ " Kaishin said in affirmation, taking a breath from the surface before diving again. Tria remained at the surface for a few moments longer, taking several breaths to recover before swimming toward shore. She didn't get far before a familiar dizziness set in.

" _Oh no._ " Tria thought to herself as she felt herself sinking, " _I guess I really did overdo it this time._ " While her head was still above the water, she saw a boat approaching her at a high speed, the eyes of the two people in it shining with concern. The figures threw two medals into the water, the released vivosaurs swimming around her urgently. One of the plesiosaurs, orange-and-white with bronze horns and patches, swam underneath the half-dinaurian and brought her to the surface again. The other one, a smaller blue with white spots and yellow eyes, swam around the larger one, guiding him back to shore while watching Tria's head to make sure it stayed above the water.

" _Plesio._ " Tria growled tiredly when she saw the blue vivosaur next to her, before looking up at the horned head of the one carrying her, " _Futabi._ " She looked back at the two humans. " _So he is here. Not good._ " She closed her eyes and sighed as she began to slip back into unconsciousness. " _At least Kaishin has an advantage down there. He can take care of himself._ " She then went back to sleep as her battles with Dreadraven and Dart took their toll.

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The Wardens gathered on the beach down from the practice track used by rookie drivers, Nibbles landing next to them. The signal from Tria's device was coming from the beach, but when they reached the sandy slope, they didn't see Tria anywhere. Instead, a large reptile lay on the beach, his eyes closed and his breathing labored. The Wardens were hesitant to approach the massive creature, the clearly-ancient reptile unfamiliar to them and clearly capable of doing serious damage to their Bone Buggies. Only one Warden didn't have that problem.

"Elric?! What are you doing?!" the Captain exclaimed as his emissary drove straight toward the massive sea reptile. The silver-haired male stopped his Speed Demon a short distance away before getting out and running up to the beached vivosaur, Nibbles reverting back to his smaller form and skidding next to the human.

"Krona!" he exclaimed in recognition, "Where's Tria?!"

Krona opened his eyes and looked at the humans that were now gathering around him. He sighed before lifting his head and opening his jaws to reveal the two former BR lieutenants lying unconscious on his tongue.

"It's Olga and Kowloon!" Becky cried as she and the Asian team took the unconscious humans from the vivosaur's jaws.

"And there's Tria's device!" the Professor gasped, the only one able to recognize the crushed metal that fell off Kowloon's chest.

"Did Kowloon take it?!" Mei Lian growled, already reaching for the man's throat.

"Somehow, I doubt it." Elric replied as Liu Ren caught Mei Lian's wrist, "Chances are Tria broke it off to give us a way to find them."

" _You're half right, Elric._ " a deep rumble registered in the Wardens' earpieces, Krona's voice shaking the beach as the humans jumped, " _She did give it to me so that you would find us, but it was already like that. It's more likely that she broke it off shortly after her other side took control._ "

"Her other side?" several voices chorused.

"So Tria did lose control…" Captain Stryker muttered, his voice filled with dread. Nibbles whimpered fearfully.

"But why would Tria give this creature the device if she had lost control of herself?" Liu Ren asked, more to himself that anyone else.

" _My name is Krona._ " Krona snarled, insulted, before sighing as he calmed down, " _I know that she had lost control of herself, but she had regained it by the time she called me out. By then, her main focus was getting those two out of that submarine safely. They were already unconscious when she instructed me to carry them in my mouth to keep them from drowning._ "

"That sounds very much like Tria…" Elric mumbled, not sure whether to feel relief or dread.

"The submarine?" Sean asked, looking out into the vast ocean before his eyes widened, "You don't mean…?!"

"The Neo Black Whale!" the voice of Hanzo shouted in terror as his whirlwind descended, "It is gone!"

"G-Gone?!" Drake stuttered fearfully.

"What do you mean it's gone?!" Leon yelled, glaring at the ninja, "That sub is huge! It can't just disappear!"

"Krona." Elric addressed the aquatic vivosaur, desperately trying to keep his voice calm, "What happened to the Neo Black Whale?"

" _You mean that submarine?_ " Krona asked, not even waiting for a response, " _It was already sinking when I was released. If you want to know what made it sink, you'll have to ask Tria herself._ "

"The Neo Black Whale sank?!" Roland cried, his eyes wide with fear.

"I thought submarines were supposed to sink?" Nate spoke up, confused.

" _Not from the weight of water filling it._ " Krona replied, startling the pink-haired Warden, " _Something had managed to tear holes in its hull, and it filled with water quickly. Tria and Kaishin had to force the latch open so that I could escape with those two._ "

"Is Tria okay?" Penny squeaked, her hands on her knees as she leaned down in front of Krona.

" _That, I don't know._ " Krona replied, sighing under his own weight, " _She told me to get out and head for shore. I didn't stay to see how she faired._ "

"Did you say Kaishin helped her, Krona?" Elric asked, kneeling next to Krona's head, "Was Tria planning on having him help her out?"

" _Why are you asking me, Elric?_ " Krona growled tiredly, " _I've never been able to understand how that girl's mind works. You know that._ "

"Hey!" another voice called as the racing Warden pointed at something in the water, "There's something heading this way!"

"What is it, Dahlia?" Violet asked as she stood beside her colleague.

The rest of the Wardens turned their eyes toward the ocean as two figures appeared out of the blue. Two long necks rose, one significantly smaller than the other. The larger of the two had horns, and it seemed to be moving more slowly than was natural. The smaller one seemed to be monitoring something on the larger one's back.

"Two more plesiosaurs?" Captain Stryker muttered, "What's going on here?"

"Hey!" the loud voice of Frett cried, "Check it, Prescott! Is that what I think it is?!"

"I'd say it is, old sport!" Prescott gasped as he shielded his eyes to see better, "That's Tria! On the larger plesiosaur's back!"

"What?!" several voices screamed as more of the Wardens gathered at the water's edge.

The two plesiosaurs dragged themselves into the shallows, just as Krona had, with the larger one rolling over to deposit his passenger on the beach. The dinaurian was still in her battle form, but she was unconscious. Her normally-white scales were a pale gray, a lingering sign of her struggle with the dark energy. Her breathing was slow and even, indicating a peaceful resting state. The Wardens gathered around her, their eyes all shining.

" _Tria!_ " Nibbles cried, desperately nuzzling the cold muzzle of his unresponsive friend.

"Tria!" Frett screamed, practically in the half-dinaurian's ear, "Are you okay?!"

"Settle down, old sport! Yelling won't help her!" Prescott cried as he restrained his partner.

"She's dead, isn't she?! She drowned!" Nate sobbed, tears streaming from his eyes as he collapsed against the large dinaurian's side.

"No she's not, you idiot!" Leon barked, smacking the back of Nate's head as he glared at the sobbing male, "She's clearly breathing! You can see and feel it!"

As Nate looked around, seeming to only just notice how he was moving up and down with each breath Tria took. Daisy knelt beside the dinaurian's head.

"Is she all right, though?" the young Warden asked as she hesitantly stroked the damp muzzle, "She looks more tired than a puppy in a ball pit."

"And her scales are gray." Becky added, leaning down next to Daisy, "They're usually sparkling white. And they've lost their shine."

"She seems to have avoided external injury, though." Liu Ren commented as he looked over the half-dinaurian's battle form, "That's something, at least."

"But she won't wake up." Mei Lian stated, putting her arms around Tria's neck, "And she's soaked! And freezing!"

"And she hasn't changed back." Dahlia added, running her fingers through the salt-encrusted mane, "Does she usually stay in her battle form when she's unconscious, Elric?"

"Sometimes." Elric muttered absently. He was looking out into the ocean, having spotted something moving in the waves, "If she passes out too quickly to revert back to her true form, or if she feels too vulnerable, she may remain in her battle form." He approached the water's edge just as the two plesiosaurs returned to the ocean. He saw them return to a boat that was drifting in the distance. The dormant forms returned to the humans on the boat before it vanished without so much as a sign or signal as to their intentions.

"She's had a very difficult fight." Violet said sadly as she clutched her wand in distress, "I'm not surprised she hasn't returned to her true form."

"Did you see the battle, Violet?" Hanzo asked, arching an eyebrow at the witch.

"Some of it. Through the Crystal Ball +1." Violet answered as several of the Wardens turned to stare at her expectantly, "Tria has taken a serious hit, and it's make her very weak."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Mei Lian growled, irritated. She, and the other Wardens, then looked toward the two former lieutenants, who were just coming to.

"Wh…Where…?" Olga croaked, her voice hoarse, as she opened her eyes hesitantly. She then closed them and groaned as she was faced with the bright afternoon sky.

"Are you feeling all right, Olga?" Captain Stryker asked as he knelt down next to the woman, "You've been unconscious for a while."

"I…what…?" Olga stuttered in dazed confusion. As she continued to wake up, her eyes widened and she sat up quickly. "Moldy borscht! Tria!" She then collapsed back again as she grabbed the back of her head.

"Relax, Olga." Professor Little ordered as he looked at the back of the woman's head, "You seem to have taken a hard hit to the head. You need to rest."

"But…" Olga whimpered, only just now taking in her surroundings, "Tria?"

"Is safe." Captain Stryker assured the distressed woman, "She's asleep over there."

Olga started to comment again, but she was cut off by a growl emanating from next to her. The three Wardens turned to look at Kowloon as he regained consciousness.

"Rrrr." the gurgling growl left the half-human's throat as he struggled to open his visible eye. He looked around at the beach he lay on, at the Wardens who were watching him with varying degrees of distrust, before his gaze finally found the gray dinaurian.

" _A-Alpha…_ " he rasped, the distress in his vivosaurian voice registering in the Wardens' earpieces. Disregarding everyone around him, Kowloon struggled to his feet and staggered over to his alpha. He collapsed against her side as soon as he reached her, Nate scrambling out of his way. He then lay there, listening to her breathing, and sighed with relief when he felt the movement beneath him. When he didn't move or acknowledge anyone else, Captain Stryker approached the dangerous man and hesitantly checked the back of his head.

"Looks like Kowloon's been hit, too." he stated, looking at the blood on his fingers from Kowloon's hair, "They were both knocked unconscious by something."

"Tria…" Olga muttered, closing her eyes as she leaned back against Drake, who'd been supporting her.

"No." Kowloon snarled, opening his visible eye to glare at everyone around him, "My alpha would never harm us. It was her other side."

"Her other side?" several other voices chorused again as the Wardens looked at each other.

"I thought as much." Elric mumbled gravely as Nibbles whined urgently to the unconscious dinaurian. The silver-haired male then perked up again as he saw something else moving through the water. He stood right at the water's edge, waiting expectantly, while Krona sighed in annoyance.

"What are you looking at, Elric?" Captain Stryker asked as he moved to stand next to his emissary. Elric didn't answer, simply watching impatiently as the massive serpent-like body slithered closer.

"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!" Nate, always the first to notice something scary, screamed as he fell backwards. The rest of the Wardens jumped back instinctively as the large horned head rose from the water, the red eyes scanning over the beach before focusing on the one human who hadn't moved.

" _Elric, darling. How lovely to see you again._ " the serpentine vivosaur addressed the only human he recognized, his flippers pushing him forward so that he loomed right over the smaller creature.

"Hello, Kaishin." Elric replied to the massive Super Evolver, unfazed by the red eyes staring down at him, "Sorry to rush you, but what did Tria order you to do?"

" _As straight to the point as ever, I see. You get that from Tria, I'm sure._ " Kaishin said idly, disregarding the gawking stares being sent his way as he nodded, " _There was a robot in that submarine that held the consciousness of something she called 'Blackraven'. She asked me to retrieve it._ "

"A robot with Dr. Blackraven's consciousness?!" Captain Stryker gasped, his eyes wide with terror, and horrified murmurs rose from the gathered Wardens.

"And did you get it?" Elric asked the sea serpent, his voice gaining a sense of urgency.

" _Kind of hard to, I'm afraid._ " the Water-type replied with a shake of his head, " _I ran into an unexpected problem that kept me from fulfilling my lady's wishes._ "

"An unexpected problem?" Elric repeated, exchanging an uneasy glance with the small vivosaur standing next to him.

"Could you not get it out of the Neo Black Whale?" Professor Little asked, looking up hesitantly as the Super Evolver.

" _That's not the issue, little one._ " Kaishin replied, watching the young prodigy flinch as the red eyes focused, " _The problem lies with the robot itself._ "

"Does it have some kind of defense set up?" Leon asked, summoning the courage to approach the serpent.

" _I wouldn't know that, young man._ " Kaishin replied, his eyes looking around at all the humans again before settling on Elric once more.

" _There wasn't a robot in there at all. It's gone._ "


	59. Betrayal

The group of five people, all in their late teens, walked into their headquarters from the hidden Garage that held their Bone Buggies. The boy in the center was carrying a strange, pitch black orb with a single red light that darted around as if looking around at the room they'd entered. Massive cylinders lined the walls, the blackness within them swirling like a violent wind. The boy placed the orb on a stand on the desk in the center of the room.

"A bit mediocre, but I suppose it'll do." a voice grumbled from the dark orb, the red light scanning the room once more before focusing on the boy who'd carried it, "They don't know of this place?"

"Not a clue." the boy replied, "They're pathetically inept."

"If they're so pathetically inept." a female voice growled from beside the boy, "Then why haven't they been dethroned yet?"

"Silence, insolent girl!" the voice from the orb barked back, "You are in no position to be making judgements!"

"Dudes! We need to chill!" another male voice said from beside the girl, the figure it belonged to holding up his hands in a pacifying gesture, "We're all on the same side, yeah? We all want the same thing!"

"Do we, though?" another figure muttered resentfully under his breath. The taller boy next to him gripped his shoulder.

"Enough! All of you!" the boy in the middle snapped at the quarreling group, "We're wasting time! That stupid dinosaur girl is weaker now; we have to take this chance to strike!"

"I couldn't agree more." the voice from the orb boomed, making several of the teens tremble, "Now is the perfect time to bring down those accused Wardens once and for all!"

The girl chuckled sadistically, and the boy next to her cheered. The two boys standing to the side looked at each other, both expertly hiding their unease. The boy in the middle typed something into the computer as the dark orb was locked in place.

"I have obscene amounts of dark energy stored in here." the voice in the orb told the group, "By combining it with the dark energy you've managed to collect, I can vastly increase my power! Then I can give you some of that power, and, together, we can take down those blasted Wardens and rule the world!"

"Sounds fun." the boy said simply as the dark energy was drained from the orb. As the rest of the group watched curiously, the red light in the dark orb widened.

"W-Wait!" it stuttered, its tone suddenly becoming fearful, "Wh-What are you doing?! You're supposed to give me your dark energy, not steal mine!"

"Sorry." the boy replied, not sounding sorry at all, "But I'm the leader of this band, and I'm not about to hand that position over to you."

"You miserable brat!" the voice cried hatefully as the deep blackness in the orb began to flow into the dark cylinder behind the desk.

"You think I don't know what you are?" the boy continued, his own hazel eyes narrowing dangerously, "I know your kind. You don't have allies, just pawns. You use people until they are no longer useful to you, and then you dispose of them. I'm not about to be used and disposed of."

The boy picked up the orb again, the sphere now clear except for the red light, which glared tiredly.

"Damn you…Mikasi…" the voice groaned, exhausted from the absence of the power he'd grown accustomed to.

"So long." Mikasi Acerbi almost sang as he smirked smugly at the orb, "Uncle Blackraven."

He then let the orb slip from his hands, the empty container shattering at his feet. He then turned back to his wide-eyed group of followers, his confident smirk still in place.

"All right, everyone. We need to get to work. Tria has been weakened by her fight with the Dreadraven, and the dark energy within her has only gotten stronger. If we're gonna attack, it's now or never!"

"Dude…" the guy next to the girl muttered hesitantly, "Did you just kill your uncle?!"

"He may have been my uncle, Xavier, but he never saw me as his nephew." Mikasi replied, shrugging, "Everything was little more than pawn to him, even his own family."

"It doesn't matter who he was or what he did." the girl interjected, her arms crossed and her countenance impatient, "What matters now is he's gone, and we need to use his power to take down those damn Wardens."

"My thoughts exactly, Angel." Mikasi replied, gesturing to the massive tubes of dark energy, "You all know what to do. Power up your vivosaurs to prepare for our battle with the Wardens."

"Right." Angel said simply, taking her place by one of the tubes and inserting her Dino Gear into it.

"Y-Yeah." Xavier stuttered, much more uneasy about this plan, but he followed Angel's example nonetheless. The other two boys didn't move, and Mikasi turned on them.

"What's the hold up, you two? Power up your vivosaurs."

"We don't want to." the taller male said simply, his posture mimicking his sister's, "You can make dark vivosaurs if you want, but leave us out of it."

"What's the matter, Acacius?" Angel said as she walked up next to the glaring blond to face her brother, "You scared?"

Acacius glared at his sister, refusing to back down from her. Mikasi turned his hazel eyes on the smaller boy.

"And what about you, Luca? You gonna refuse the dark energy, too?"

Luca's silver eyes darted around the room, his trembling becoming worse as he wrapped his arms around himself and edged closer to Acacius.

""W-Well…" he whispered, looking up at Acacius, as if for guidance, before hesitantly meeting Mikasi's expectant gaze, "I…I just don't think I could…control a dark vivosaur. I-I mean…they're strong, right?"

"Yeah, that's the point." Mikasi replied, narrowing his eyes at the nervous boy, "Strong vivosaurs make strong weapons. Think you can't handle that power?"

Luca shook his head rapidly. "I'm…" he whimpered, looking at the floor, "I don't…think so…I'm not…strong like you, Mikasi."

Mikasi listened skeptically, but nodded anyway and smiled. "All right. You can do the undercover work for us, since your lack of a dark vivosaur will let you slip under their radar."

Luca jolted, then smiled shakily. "Th-Thank you, Mikasi."

"Pathetic." Angel snarled in disgust, looking up at her brother disapprovingly, "Don't tell me you're sticking by this loser, Acacius."

"Watch your tongue, sister." Acacius growled back, looming over the shorter girl.

"That's enough, you two." Mikasi interrupted the siblings' quarreling, moving to stand in between them, "Acacius, why don't you look after little Luca for us? He seems to have taken quite the shine to you."

Acacius glanced down at Luca, who looked away, blushing, "Sure thing." the copper male replied, patting his companion's shoulder, "Let's go, Luca."

"K-Kay." Luca stuttered, tripping over his own feet as he spun around to follow after Acacius. As the pair left, Angel gagged.

"When did my brother become so weak?" she asked herself, "He didn't used to tolerate such pitiful cowards."

"Luca's latched looked onto him, though." Mikasi replied, shrugging dismissively, "Acacius probably feels responsible for him now. I'm not inclined to complain at this point." When he saw the confused disapproval on Angel's face, he elaborated, "If someone isn't going to be useful, I'd rather they be harmless. Luca can't do much to hurt us on his own, and Acacius can keep him from getting caught by the Wardens. And if your brother is occupied taking care of Luca, he won't interfere with our plans."

"I guess…" Angel snarled, looking suspiciously in the direction her brother had gone, "Still doesn't sit right with me."

"It doesn't have to." Mikasi told her, walking over to the cylinder that held the dark energy obtained from Dr. Blackraven, "You just focus on your dark vivosaur."

"Whatever." Angel growled as she returned to her own dark energy supply, her eyes sharp as daggers.

Meanwhile, as Acacius walked down the hallway, Luca caught up with him and his gait evened out.

"Don't you think you went a little overboard this time, Lu?" he asked the boy next to him.

"Not really." Luca replied, shrugging casually, "We just saw Mikasi steal his uncle's power and murder him. I could've fainted, and it would've been totally believable."

"Glad you didn't." Acacius said with a slight huff, "My sister hates you enough as it is; she doesn't need another reason."

"Does she hate me for my perceived weakness?" Luca asked, tilting his head to look up at his tall companion, "Or for my continued association with you?"

"Both, I suspect." Acacius replied, his mouth twisting into a snarl, "She's always hated anyone she deemed 'weak', but she's also used to having me at her side at all times. We've always been close; I doubt she takes kindly to anyone who takes up more of my time."

"Like me, eh?" Luca asked rhetorically before sighing, "I don't want to be your sister's enemy, I really don't, but I'm kinda wary of her right now. She seems to be getting worse every day…"

"Angel's always had a lot of pride, so the humiliation of failing the Warden Test weighs heavily on her." Acacius explained, sighing tiredly, "Mikasi's not helping. He's taken her wounded pride and rubbed so much salt into it that she might as well be a French fry."

Luca snorted as they both entered the room they shared in the hideout, with Acacius collapsing onto his bed in a disheveled mess so contrary to his usual well-groomed appearance. Luca sat on the side of the bed next to him.

"I wish there was some way to help her move beyond her loss." Acacius said after a few minutes, "I want my sister back."

"Commander Tria can help her." Luca stated confidently, making Acacius look up at him, "We just need to protect her from Mikasi's plan. She's the best hope for everyone here."

"How, though?" Acacius asked, watching his partner curiously, "We can't exactly meet her in the Parks like we've been doing. Even if she is conscious and strong enough to do so, the Wardens won't be letting her out of their sight. And if we're seen with the Wardens, Mikasi is sure to get wind of it."

"That is true." Luca replied, staring at the floor with a distressed gaze, "As much as I hate to admit it, there's nothing we can do to directly help her. All we can do it work on ways to sabotage Mikasi's plans."

"And even that capability is limited." Acacius added, "Mikasi's sharp. It won't be easy to get past his awareness. Right now, we should focus on strengthening our vivosaurs to help fight when the time comes."

"We also need to stay as positive as we can." Luca added, making Acacius arch an eyebrow, "The dark energy feeds on negative emotions. The more positive we are, the less negativity it has to feed on. Also…"

"The more positive we are, the better we'll be able to counter the dark energy once it's used." Acacius finished when Luca trailed off expectantly, "Good thinking, Lu."

"It's what I'm here for, Ace." Luca replied with a wink and a knowing smile, "I'm not as useless as I sometimes appear."

"Maybe one day my sister will see that, as I have." Acacius said, reaching up to ruffle Luca's black hair as the other boy giggled, "You're definitely Warden material, Lu. You should've gotten in."

"That's what Commander Tria said." Luca replied, leaning back against Acacius' side, "But if I had gotten in, I wouldn't've been able to do my work here."

"Everything happens for a reason, I suppose." Acacius mumbled.

"And ya know…" Luca said, glancing sideways at Acacius, "You'd do well with the Wardens, too, Ace."

"Would I?" Acacius asked as he looked up at Luca with wide copper eyes. Luca nodded.

"Yeah. Maybe, once this is over, we can take the Warden Test again."

"Sounds capital." Acacius hummed in a slightly-exaggerated accent, "But in order to do that, we need to stop Mikasi from succeeding. Otherwise…"

"The Wardens are finished." Luca finished, standing up and holding out his hand to Acacius, "Let's go. We need to get stronger."

"Agreed." Acacius said as he took the hand Luca offered him, "Our first priority is to protect the Commander. We can worry about what comes next afterward."

The two then left the room, heading for the arena in the headquarters to prepare for the coming battle.


	60. Desperate Times

The elevator doors opened to admit Elric, who was closely followed by Liu Ren, Nibbles, and Kowloon. Captain Stryker sat at his desk, as he always did, with Professor Little standing beside him, fidgeting nervously. Sean and Drake were standing in front of the Captain's desk, the American leader staring at the floor and the European leader trembling. Olga stood at the side of the room, leaning weakly against the wall. Kowloon walked over to stand next to her while Liu Ren joined his fellow leaders.

"How is she?" Captain Stryker asked, everyone else looking toward his emissary as he did so.

"She's stable." Elric replied, his voice one of careful control, "We've got her hooked up to several light energy devices, and several of the Wardens are feeding positivity into them."

Captain Stryker sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair, elbows on the armrests and one hand rubbing his temple.

"This is getting out of hand, Captain." Liu Ren stated after a few minutes of silence, "Despite our best efforts to suppress the dark energy, we seem to be fighting a losing battle. Tria's running out of time."

"And this incident has made the situation much worse." The Captain mumbled, making the two former BR lieutenants tense.

"Our deepest apologies, Captain." Olga almost whispered, not meeting the gazes of anyone in the room, "If we did not make with the insisting that she help us with the crushing of Dr. Blackraven, she would not have been hurt."

"If you hadn't insisted Tria go with you, you both probably would've died." Elric stated matter-of-factly, ignoring the woman's flinch to continue, "That would've made Tria's condition even worse."

"Tria is the only one capable of combating the dark energy directly." Professor Little said in agreement, "Not having her there would have only ended in disaster."

"Tria is my alpha." Kowloon growled, his mouth twisting into a pained snarl, "I was supposed to protect her, but she had to protect me instead."

" _That's what alphas do._ " Nibbles told the half-human, " _We defend those under us. And more importantly…_ " He looked around at all the humans to make sure he had their attention before adding, " _That's what Tria does. She always looks out for others; that's been her role from the beginning._ "

"That might be part of the problem." Elric muttered, remembering the conversation he'd had with her after her direct battle with her dark side, "When she protects others, she neglects herself, and that puts her in danger. She won't stop defending others; she's been trained for that purpose since she was born. But now that part of her nature is working against her. We have to be very careful with what we get ourselves into."

"There's something else that's been bugging me." Sean said, unusually quiet, "I had a brief conversation with Tria a few days ago, after her device had detected a surge of dark energy during a tournament final. When I expressed my concern for her, her response scared me."

"What response was that?" Captain Stryker asked, leaning forward and interlacing his fingers.

"When I asked her if there was anything we could do to stop the dark energy, she said there wasn't, and when she saw how upset I was, she told me she'd stay as long as she could." Sean replied, his fists clenching as he looked around at his comrades, "She didn't say anything about finding a way to stop the dark energy. She's already given up on her own life!"

The humans and vivosaur all gasped at this revelation. Kowloon and Olga looked at each other fearfully, Nibbles whined in distress, Drake hunched over as if he wanted to disappear from the entire conversation, and Liu Ren clenched his teeth in an attempt to hide the quaking of his body. Elric cringed, glaring at the floor as he tried to maintain control over his breathing, and Professor Little gripped the Captain's jacket hard. The Captain himself crossed his arms, his fingers visibly digging into the fabric of his sleeves.

"My alpha wouldn't just give up!" Kowloon barked, his fear mixing with indignation at the notion.

"She's been going through with the light energy treatment, hasn't she?" the Professor asked somewhat-rhetorically, "Why would she still be fighting if she'd given up?"

"That's true." Liu Ren agreed, sounding almost desperate, "If she had given up on life, chances are the dark energy would've already taken over."

"M…Maybe…" a timid voice from next to Sean whispered fearfully, and when everyone turned to look at Drake, he practically jumped and backed away before hesitantly continuing, "Or…maybe not…"

"What do you mean, Drake?" Captain Stryker asked the timid viking, trying to keep his tone as calm as possible to avoid startling the poor man.

"W-Well…" Drake stuttered, his dark blue eyes darting around, "B-Berserkers…we can't…be controlled. S-So we…look for ways to…cancel out our p-power. So that…if we lose…ourselves…we can b-be s-stopped."

"You think Tria's gathering light energy," Captain Stryker surmised, "Not to suppress the dark energy, but to be ready to cancel it out, so that, if it does try to take over, she can end her own life before it's able to make her turn on us. Is that it?"

Drake shuddered at the blunt summary of his morbid thought, but he nodded in confirmation before hiding again.

"Knowing Tria." Elric put forward after a few moments of tense silence, "That actually makes a lot of sense. She was trained to make the ultimate sacrifice when she came here, and she's already done it once. I wouldn't be surprised if she really is planning to do it again."

"We have to be helping her!" Olga cried in despair, "We cannot be letting her do this!"

"Olga's right." Liu Ren stated, Sean and Drake nodding in agreement.

"But how?" Professor Little asked, sounding like a scared little kid, "We're doing everything we can now, but it's not enough!"

"There has to be something else you Wardens can do!" Kowloon snarled, causing the Professor to hide behind the Captain, "Tria's done so much for you! You must be able to do something for her!"

"And we will!" Captain Stryker snapped back at the half-human, "We just need to figure out what." He then turned back to his emissary. "What do you think, Elric? You're more up-to-date on Tria's condition than the rest of us."

"Hm." Elric hummed, crossing his arms as he thought, "When Tria spoke with Sydney, she listed three possible outcomes, citing one as more likely than the other two."

"Who's Sydney?" Sean asked, his confusion reflected in the faces of everyone else in the room. Except, of course, the Captain, who simply leaned forward.

"The investigator?" Captain Stryker asked for confirmation, and when Elric nodded, he continued, "What were the three outcomes?"

"According to Tria, the most likely outcome is that she will be destroyed by the internal struggle between her and her dark side, who supposedly calls herself 'Dart'."

"We've met her." Kowloon muttered, sounding equally hateful and fearful.

"On the Neo Black Whale." Olga added, shuddering at the memory.

"If that's the most likely possibility, what are the less likely ones?" Liu Ren asked.

"That Tria will overpower and suppress Dart, or Dart will overpower and suppress her." Elric replied, "Tria and Dart are equally stubborn, so neither is likely to yield to the other."

"But it's still a possibility, right?" Sean asked, looking around at his comrades, "There's a chance Tria can win against this thing?"

"Yes. A small one."

"It may be a small chance." Captain Stryker said, interlacing his fingers again, "But it may be the only chance we have. Do you know if there's a way for us to help Tria fully suppress the dark energy within her, Elric?"

Elric was quiet for a few minutes, thinking back to all of his conversations with Tria regarding the dark energy. His eyes then narrowed, and he looked up at the others.

"The Warden Test was a significant event for Tria. She told me that it would either help her or destroy her, and it apparently ended up giving her a needed boost of light energy that helped her fend of Dart during their first encounter."

"Th-The Warden Test?" Drake stuttered.

"We need to hold another Warden Test?" Sean said incredulously.

"Was it the entire Warden Test that helped?" Liu Ren asked. Elric shook his head.

"Just the tournament portion." he replied with a confidence that was new to the conversation, "The rest of the Warden Test had no effect on her."

"So, what?" Kowloon growled impatiently, "You want to hold a tournament to gather light energy?"

"That could work." the Captain said, surprising everyone, "The continuous small doses of light energy aren't doing enough, but if we can get a large amount of light energy to her at once, it might be possible for her to send this 'Dart' into submission for good!"

"It could work…" Elric muttered before adding, "But it could also horribly backfire. If anything, and I mean anything, goes wrong with the tournament, anything to mess up the positive atmosphere, it could provide Tria's dark side with the perfect opening to take over."

"So what you're saying…" Liu Ren surmised, "Is that it's a gamble. One that will be worth it if we succeed, but if we fail, it's all over. Is that it?"

"Pretty much." Elric confirmed with a nod, looking around at the others in the room, "What do you all think? If we succeed, we save Tria, but if we fail, we lose her forever."

Everyone was silent for several minutes. The weight of Elric's words was felt by all of them. They all wanted to save Tria, but the risk that something could go wrong was incredibly great, and if something did go wrong, they wouldn't get another chance. It was an all-or-nothing gamble, one that could spell the end of everything they held dear.

" _Let's do it._ " Nibbles growled, stepping forward into the center of the room.

"Are you sure, Nibbles?" Captain Stryker asked as everyone looked at the little vivosaur, "You do understand what's at stake, right? We could lose Tria forever."

" _We're gonna lose her for sure if we do nothing._ " Nibbles argued back, his green eyes hardening in determination as his claws gripped the yellow bandana around his neck, " _With this tournament, we at least have a chance of saving her!_ "

"He has a point, Captain." Professor Little stated, "Even if the possibility of success is remote, the odds are still greater than if we simply do nothing."

"If there's a chance to save Tria, we need to take it." Liu Ren said firmly, "We owe her that much."

"We…have to save her." Drake agreed, standing up straight again.

"Tria'd do the same for us!" Sean yelled confidently, nodding.

"We must make with the hurrying!" Olga said, finally getting off the wall to stand among the rest of the Wardens.

"Dart's getting stronger." Kowloon added in agreement, "We need to get the light energy to Tria, and we need to do it fast!"

Captain Stryker exchanged a glance and a nod with Elric. "All right, then. Now that we've reached a consensus, we need to figure out how we're going to go about this. It wouldn't be wise to advertise the actual purpose of the tournament, but it wouldn't make sense to hold a tournament for no reason at all."

"About that, Captain." Sean spoke up, actually looking eager, "I may have a solution for that. We'll need to let a couple of my friends in on this plan, but they could help us."

"A couple of your friends?" Liu Ren repeated, curious.

"What exactly do you have in mind, Sean?" Captain Stryker asked, tilting his head at the blond male.

"It's really simple, Captain." Sean replied, his grin just shy of mischievous, "Here's the idea…"


	61. The Legend's Cup

It was a week before I was allowed to leave my room for long periods of time, and another week before I was allowed to wander around without having someone with me. After Plesio and Futabi carried me to shore, gray and unconscious, everyone around me seemed to be on eggshells. I'd woken up briefly at some point to find myself in the hospital room with a group of light energy devices connected to me. There were people feeding positivity into them, but I wasn't able to tell who they were before I'd passed out. By the time I'd woken up again, only one device was there, and Penny was looking after me. During the two weeks when I wasn't allowed to be alone, the Wardens took turns monitoring me, and although I enjoyed hanging out with my friends, my patience with the measure began to wear thin. Once I was allowed to move around on my own, I spent long hours just flying around dig sites or perching on top of high places, keeping as far away from the Fossil Parks and the people in them as I could. It wasn't until a week later, when I'd finally started hanging out in the Fossil Parks again, that I was approached.

"Ha ha! There you are, Tria! We've been looking for you!"

"Oh, really?" I asked rhetorically as I turned to face the two men, "What can I do for you, Aggro, Lancelot?"

The leaders of the Red Fang and Green Wave stood before me, Aggro smirking and Lancelot smiling expectantly.

"You've made much progress since we met." Lancelot told me, some pride entering his expression, "I can't help but be impressed."

"Thanks." I said as I crossed my arms and arched an eye ridge, "Now what is it you want?"

This time, Aggro answered.

"To walk the path of strength, there is one final step a champion must take."

"But the time for talking is over." Lancelot continued without waiting for a response, "Let's go on and see for ourselves."

"Find the ultimate symbol of strength and become Queen of the next generation!" Aggro commanded, his eyes glowing red as he roared, "Do it! Dooooooo iiiiiiiiiit!"

"Not until you tell me what you're talking about." I snapped back, becoming impatient with their roundabout explanation and suspicious at their unwillingness to state their request.

"Huh." Lancelot chuckled, not looking the least bit put off by my tone, "It sounds a bit wild, but that's exactly what you should be trying to achieve by entering the Legend's Cup."

"The Legend's Cup?" I asked, my suspicion at the sudden tournament deepening.

"Show us your power! Seize the chance! Taaaaaaaaaaakeiiiiiiiiiiiitnooooooooowowowooooooofjdfhdgfh!"

"You want me to fight in the tournament?" I asked, turning my head to glance sideways at the two men, "Are you sure that's wise?" At the hard determination in both men's eyes, I sighed. "All right. If you're that insistent, I'll do it."

"Excellent." Lancelot said, smiling with expertly-hidden relief, "But know that a cruel battle awaits you. Are you sure you're ready?"

Before I could respond, Aggro laughed.

"It matters not! The challenge has been accepted! Fly forth without fear or hesitation, little one!"

"He's right. The time for negative thoughts has passed." Lancelot said in acceptance before addressing me again, "We should go register right away."

"We?" I asked, looking up at the taller male, "So I'm joining you two in this Cup?"

"My blood boils! BOILS! Booooooooiiiiiiiilllllllsssssss!" Aggro bellowed in confirmation.

"Not at all." Lancelot replied, smirking at the confusion on my face before adding, "We are the ones who are joining you, if you'll permit us."

"Probably wise." I said as they led me out of the Asian Fossil Center and toward the Stadium, "I'm assuming you two are capable of working together without issue?"

At the reference to the disastrous attempt to get Rocky and Hellcat to work together, Lancelot cringed, and even Aggro flinched. They both recovered quickly and smiled at me before nodding in unison. I just nodded back as we entered the Stadium, which was already vibrating with the energy of the gathered audience. A bit presumptuous of them, announcing the Legend's Cup to the public before knowing whether or not I'd even be competing, but I chose to ignore that fact. It didn't help my suspicion surrounding the entire thing, though.

In the Stadium waiting area, Aggro and Lancelot led me to their Bone Buggies, which were sequestered in a vacant space. The space was lit, but the rest of the waiting area was not. In fact, all of the other Bone Buggies were hidden in darkness, so much so that I couldn't even make out their shapes, let alone their drivers. I felt my wings rise as my suspicion turned to unease, but I said nothing as I settled on top of Aggro's Rock Crusher. Soon enough, I heard the ring of a voice that could only be the announcer declaring the start of the Legend's Cup. I felt the Bone Buggy beneath me trembling with the berserker bloodlust of the fighter within it. Soon after, we were called into the arena, where I was met with a truly amazing sight.

The stands were absolutely packed. I had never seen so many people in any of the Park Stadiums, not even at the Angel's Cup. I looked around at all the people, mostly civilians of the Fossil Parks and visitors here specifically for the Legend's Cup. However, not all of them were strangers. I saw Sydney sitting fairly close to the edge of the arena, speaking with an older man in a suit next to him. Sydney himself looked nervous, the older man analytical. I also caught sight of Ruby Bling, sitting in the first-class section with an annoyed scowl on her face. Her sister, Sapphire, was absent. Near Ruby, also in the first-class section, was a blond man sitting with his arms crossed, looking greatly displeased. He was flanked by a familiar group of triplets, who were looking uncomfortable at being back in the Asian Stadium. Elsewhere in the stands, looking more than a little anxious, were Lucky's parents. Lucky clearly wasn't with them, making me wonder if he was with Leon in the Warden's section. That's when I noticed something that really made my stomach churn.

There was no Warden section. The area where the Wardens usually sat was filled with civilians. Dr. Digmore and Dino Gigante were in that section, along with many masked fighter fans, but no Wardens. I didn't even see Nibbles, which really bothered me. Where were the Wardens? I didn't even see the rest of Aggro and Lancelot's teammates. Scanning the crowd again, looking for the missing people, and instead found a group I did not want to see.

" _What the hell are you doing here?_ " I growled as my eyes caught the familiar form of Mikasi Acerbi. He was flanked by Angel Spiros and Xavier Voclain, Xavier looking terrified and Angel furious. Next to Angel sat her brother, Acacius Spiros, and next to him was Luca Palladino. They both looked uneasy, and when I caught Luca's eyes, he glanced toward a specific area of the stands. I looked in that same direction, wondering what he was looking at, but at this point, I couldn't ask him. I turned my focus back to the arena as our first opponents faced us, my eyes narrowing dangerously at the now-familiar Bone Buggies.

"Our first opponent!" Aggro roared, his eyes going red as his battle mode set in, "Where are they?! Bring 'em oooooooon!"

"I sense a youthful power." Lancelot commented idly, "This will be an interesting challenge."

"We can handle them." I growled as I rose to my feet before crouching on Aggro's Rock Crusher.

"We're gonna rock you like an old six string! Chicka waaaaaa!" the hyper voice of Frett cheered from the yellow Turf Shredder.

"Huh? Aggro? Wait, what are you-" the startled voice of Spike started to ask from the red Turf Shredder.

"Me not understand! Why we fight against bossman?" the panicked voice of Rocky yelled from the green Heavy Hauler.

"Don't think about that." I informed the group calmly, "They aren't who you need to worry about." I then glanced down at the Bone Buggies of my teammates and thought to myself, "Seems I wasn't the only one left in the dark here. What IS going on?"

Aggro and Lancelot didn't respond to their subordinates' questions, simply releasing their vivosaurs. Carchar and Seidon both landed heavily on the battlefield, their combined weight shaking the ground. The trembling was soon passed to the stands as the two high-ranking vivosaurs roared, their battle cries shaking the air itself. I couldn't let them show me up.

" _All right. Might as well join this bloodbath._ " I said to myself, my rumbling voice becoming deeper as I leapt into the air and took my battle form. I landed lightly on the field between my two teammates before spreading my wings and howling to the sky. We then faced the team before us, the thrill of battle already filling me.

All three of our opponents were using unfamiliar vivosaurs. Frett sent out a Giganto, the massive carnivore, though younger than his opponents, radiating absolute confidence. Spike sent out a Sungari, the Fire-type completely different in personality than his fighter's normal partner. And Rocky sent out an armor-plated Ankylo, this vivosaur more similar to the Jiango he was used to battling with. I flapped my wings as the battle began.

Carchar, as impatient a berserker as his fighter, charged at Ankylo, recognizing the type advantage his held over the herbivore. Giganto attempted to intercept, but he was in turn knocked back by Seidon, who lumbered forward to face his opponent properly. Sungari shrieked, angered at being left out, and dove at Carchar with agitated haste. His dive was stopped, however, by my tail, which flicked him up into the sky effortlessly.

" _I'm in this fight, too. Don't forget._ " I growled to the pterosaur, leaping to follow him up, " _But you won't be for much longer, I'm afraid._ " I grinned as my legs alone carried me above the small vivosaur, allowing me to look down at him. " _You're going down!_ "

With that declaration, I spread my wings and gave them a single downward flap. Sungari tried to dodge, but the significant size difference between us worked to my advantage, and my smaller opponent was driven into the ground by the blast of wind. I folded my wings and dropped on top of the small pterosaur, sending him back to his shocked fighter as a Dino Gear. I jumped back to survey my teammates' battles just in time to see Ankylo crushed in Carchar's jaws and Giganto crushed under Seidon's feet. As our two remaining opponents disappeared in simultaneous flashes of light, Carchar and Seidon bellowing victoriously, I stood still. I reverted back to my true form as my teammates returned to their fighters, and I jumped back onto Aggro's Bone Buggy to return to the waiting area. As we waited for the next battle, my mind continued to race.

"There's something about this tournament that's bothering me." I thought to myself, "For one thing, how did I not hear about it, especially when everyone else seems to have? Also, why are my Paleo Pals directly involved? Is this really just a test of my strength? Considering how careful they've been being with me, that seems unlikely. What's going on here?"

I was snapped from my thoughts by the call for us to return to the arena. As we drove out, back into the sunlight and the light of the fans, we were met with more familiar Bone Buggies, an altered Rock Crusher, an orange Heavy Hauler, and a dark-blue Speed Demon.

"Round two!" Aggro cheered happily, "It's smashin' time!"

"Our next opponents are a corps of beauties." Lancelot observed calmly, "But charm will get them nowhere."

"I know those beauties." I replied, my eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Let's show these cowpokes how we roll!" Daisy declared, an unusual confidence in her tone.

"Careful, dear friends." Sapphire informed her teammates, "Our foes are quite strong."

"They are strong like ox! Or bear! Or possibly unholy ox-bear hybrid!" Olga cried, sounding fearful.

"So even Sapphire's involved in this tournament." I thought to myself, looking back to the first-class section where Ruby was sitting. My surprise increased when I saw the look of absolute shock in the older Bling sister's face. Ruby was staring at her younger sister with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. I blinked in confusion before returning my focus to my opponents.

Olga sent out her uncorrupted partner, Angato, who snapped her toxic jaws in challenge. Daisy sent out the Stego she's started training after 'officially' becoming a Warden. And Sapphire sent out her own vivosaur, one that she had excavated and revived herself: the Earth-type Lexo.

I leapt up just as my teammates were launched, transforming right as they were released. I flapped my wings and growled at the trio before me, and the battle began.

Angato charged at me, knowing more of my fighting style than her teammates did. Stego faced Carchar, using her own knowledge of the type advantage she held to overcome the large carnivore's intimidation. Lexo, meanwhile, went after Seidon, also recognizing the type advantage he held. I exchanged glances with my teammates, on the border between amused and exasperated, before nodding collectively as our plan was decided.

I crouched down on all fours, appearing to be bracing myself for Angato's attack. Then, as the carnivore got close, I leapt over her, clearing the way for Carchar to close his jaws around her neck. I perched briefly on Seidon's shoulder as he faced the two herbivores, feeling his massive body tense as he raised his forelegs into the air. He brought them down heavily, shaking the arena and knocking both Stego and Lexo off balance. I took advantage of the opening and darted from my place, landing on all fours again in front of the herbivores. Spreading my wings, I shot forward, my largest limbs slamming into my opponents' forelegs and flipping them onto their backs. I then jumped back and let my heavier teammates lumber forward. A flash of light was just fading from Carchar's jaws, signaling the defeat of Angato. He and Seidon smirked at each other before simultaneously raising their feet and driving Stego and Lexo into the ground. My team bellowed victoriously as the rest of our opponents returned to their fighters.

"Yes! More! I need more!" Aggro cheered as Carchar returned to him.

"That was only the second round." Lancelot told his excited teammates, "This tournament is far from over." He then glanced up at me as we drove back to the waiting area. "How are you holding up, Tria?"

"I'm fine." I replied distractedly from my usual perch on Aggro's Rock Crusher, "It'll take more than a few battles to tire me out."

"Excellent." Lancelot sighed, sounding equally pleased and relieved. Aggro laughed, saying something about the strength of a champion, but I wasn't paying attention, focusing instead on the thoughts I'd been having since the beginning of the battle.

"So it isn't just the Wardens and the Red Fang and Green Wave. Sapphire's in on this, too. What's more, Ruby didn't seem to have any idea about her sister's involvement here. This means that Sapphire has kept his sister entirely out of the loop regarding this tournament. Surely she wouldn't hide her association with the Wardens from her sister; I only told her to keep quiet about me. Does that mean this tournament has something to do with me and my condition?"

I didn't hear the announcer call us back into the arena, but I did feel the jolt as Aggro's Rock Crusher started moving again. I shook my head to clear it as we faced our next opponents.

"Round three! I will not be denied!" Aggro roared in challenge.

"We're not playing around anymore." Lancelot informed his opponents.

"I never play around in battle." I commented as I stood up.

"Hey, Tria!" Hellcat called to me from across the field, "Go easy on us, okay?" She sounded so confident in my merciful nature, making me growl dangerously.

"Yes! Don't be so serious all the time!" Sasuke added in agreement with his teammate. I snorted in disgust before looking to the unexpected third member of their team.

"Aggro…He looks like he could be a real bruiser, that one." Kowloon commented, looking across the field to meet my eyes, "Alpha! Please let me take him on!"

I smiled at Kowloon's request, nodding to him before transforming into my battle form. As Carchar and Seidon were released, I turned back to Aggro and spoke to him directly.

" _Aggro. I leave Kowloon to you. He won't go down easily._ "

"Yes!" Aggro cheered, "I get to face the infamous former BR lieutenant, Kowloon!"

" _Lancelot. I want you and Seidon to take care of Sasuke. Think you can handle it?_ "

"Of course we can." Lancelot replied, "But do you mind telling me why?"

I focused my gaze on Hellcat, the girl completely oblivious to the rage in my features. " _I've got a score to settle here, and it wouldn't be wise for either of you to interfere._ "

Looking back at my teammates, I saw the sudden hesitation in Lancelot's face. Even Aggro had lost the crimson in his eyes as the bloodlust was replaced with concern for his subordinate.

" _What's wrong?_ " I growled, eyeing them expectantly as I heard the release of the opposing team, " _Is that a problem?_ " I smirked back at the humans, my expression challenging. " _I'm not gonna hurt her. I'm just gonna teach her not to take me so lightly. Actions have consequences and all that._ "

Aggro and Lancelot both cringed and looked at each other in search of answers. I ignored them and turned back to our opponents, the looks I'd exchanged with Carchar and Seidon confirming that, no matter what their fighters thought, they wouldn't interfere with my fight. With that issue settled, we faced the team against us.

Hellcat's Alxas growled at me, brandishing his long claws in a display of confident defiance. Sasuke's Hopter darted around Seidon's head, using his agility to his advantage. Kowloon's Spino flexed his own claws as he faced off against Carchar, the type advantage his opponent held over him not enough the faze him. I spread my wings and shrieked to the sky, announcing the start of the battle.

Alxas, his impatience matching his fighter's, charged at me with claws gleaming. My golden eyes narrowed and flashed briefly. I then crouched down on all fours, just as I had during the last round. This time, however, it was not just a ruse. Once the Fire-type therizinosaur got close, I lunged forward, catching his claws with mine and holding him in a deadlock. He tried to snap at me with his sharp teeth, but I swiveled my own head out of range and bit down on his neck instead. Before he could retaliate, I shook him violently, dazing him before letting him stagger backward away from me. I then spun around, swatting him with my tail and spinning him into a weakened stance before ramming him with my shoulder and defeating him. I looked at Hellcat's shocked expression and snarled.

" _You didn't seriously think I'd go easy on you, did you? Not after what you did._ " I growled to her, watching her face closely as I said that. My growl seemed to startle her, but she didn't react at all to my words, so I concluded that she didn't have a translator. Sasuke didn't react, either, except to glance at me when he heard my growl. The only member of their team to react to my words was, unsurprisingly, Kowloon. My packmate jolted slightly, then looked at his screen to glare suspiciously at Hellcat. At my nod, he turned back to his battle with Aggro, but I could tell he'd need an explanation later. I simply looked over to my teammates to see how they were doing.

Carchar and Spino were still sparring, seeming equal despite the elemental advantage one held. I wouldn't interfere with that fight; I had told Kowloon he could have it, and I would respect my packmate's wishes. I then looked over at Seidon and sighed.

" _I thought you might need help with that thing._ " I growled, more to myself than the sauropod, as I watched the Earth-type vivosaur continuously strike the Water-type. Seidon's Power Average lessened the damage that could be done, but it was futile if he couldn't land a hit in retaliation.

I faced the battle and opened my jaws, unleashing my Heaven's Call and freezing the pterosaur briefly. Seidon was also paralyzed by the powerful sound, but he recovered more quickly, his extensive battle experience lessening the effect of my intimidation. He then raised himself on his hind legs again and bellowed, enraged.

"Now, Seidon! Head Pounder!" Lancelot ordered his vivosaur. Seidon bellowed again as he brought his head down on Hopter, driving the still-frozen pterosaur into the ground. He then raised his foot, the threat of that attack sending the fragile vivosaur back to his fighter. Seidon laughed at that, and I chuckled along with him. We both then turned to watch Carchar's battle with Spino.

" _Commander._ " the deep, rumbling voice of Seidon spoke from above my head, " _Shouldn't we do something to help our teammate?_ "

" _No._ " I replied, the rejection of the suggestion absolute, " _That Spino is the vivosaur partner of one of the packmates, who had requested that I let him have this fight. A little tournament won't make me dishonor my packmate's request._ "

" _Are you sure that is wise, Commander?_ " Seidon asked, looking down at me with a disapproving gaze.

" _What's the matter, Seidon?_ " I asked in return, tilting my head to meet the sauropod's crimson eyes, " _Think Carchar isn't up to the challenge?_ "

" _That's not it._ " Seidon rumbled when he saw Carchar glance over at us briefly to glare at the sauropod, " _But this opponent is at a disadvantage. Shouldn't he have finished it off already?_ "

" _Just what do you think I am, Seidon?_ " Carchar growled after another collision with Spino, " _This opponent can't take me out, but he is a challenge. I don't get many challenging opponents anymore, so I'm making the most of this one._ "

" _Don't you think you should hurry up, though?_ " Seidon asked the excited carnivore, " _You're going to wear yourself out._ "

" _Let him have his fun, Seidon._ " I told the taller male, " _This tournament is supposed to be fun, right?_ "

The sauropod, much like his fighter, had remarkable self-control. However, being right next to him, I easily felt him tense. He looked down at me again, but I just returned my own gaze to the fight between Carchar and Spino, which was just reaching its conclusion.

"Finish this, Carchar!" Aggro cheered, his blood-red eyes glowing with the joy of the fight, "Raging Fangs!" Carchar charged forward with jaws agape.

"As if it'd be that easy!" Kowloon barked back, "Spino! High Bash!"

Spino evaded Carchar's initial attack and swatted him with his head, knocking the larger carnivore into a weak stance. The battle-worn Earth-type just grinned, undeterred, and brought his head down on his smaller opponent. Spino jumped back, avoiding most of the damage, but Carchar then lunged with surprising speed and bit down on Spino's neck. He shook the Water-type like a rag doll before sending him back to his fighter. Carchar and Aggro both laughed with exhilaration, while I smirked up at Seidon with an 'I-told-you-so' look.

We returned to the waiting area, resting for the next round. My earpiece was unusually silent, not even the breathing of my teammates audible. Glancing down through their windows, I saw them discussing something with someone on their screens. They both looked troubled, and the fact that they'd even changed radio frequencies to hide the conversation from me made me thrash my tail in irritation. I shifted my wings restlessly as we drove back into the arena for round four.

"Round four! And I'm yet to break a sweat!" Aggro growled in annoyance before bellowing, "IS THERE NO ONE WORTHY?!"

"In spite of how they may appear, these upcoming vivosaurs are heavyweights." Lancelot observed.

"We can take them." I said, standing up as we faced the three familiar fighters.

"You there! With the hair! There's no need to scream all the time! We can hear you just fine!" Penny snapped at Aggro.

"Analyzing data…" Gauss droned in her usual calculating voice before her tone became one of dread, "Our odds of success are…oh dear…"

"The Green Wave and the Red Fang? And Tria?! We're doomed, old sport!" Prescott cried fearfully.

" _Yes, you are._ " I growled as I transformed into my battle form. Carchar and Seidon appeared beside me as our opponents sent out their team.

Lancelot was right about the team being a group of heavyweights; all three were sauropods. Penny, recognizing her Hypsi's lack of defensive capabilities, had decided to raise the colorful, horned sauropod, Ampelo. The Air-type shook the ground as he lumbered forward. Gauss had a similar realization about her Lophus, so she started training the massive Water-type Titano. And Prescott, after learning about Professor Little's partner, had decided to raise his very own Argento.

I flexed my claws in preparation for a long and tedious battle. I then glanced again toward the first-class section, watching the rich man with the triplet bodyguards. His expression, which had been a disinterested scowl for most of the tournament, had intensified into a vicious glare. He would be watching this battle closely. Behind their professional façade, I could see the triplets trembling. I turned back to the battle with an amused smirk.

Carchar, not one to waste time, immediately charged toward Titano and bit down on his neck. As the two titanic beasts struggled, I heard Lancelot's voice in my earpiece.

"Tria." he said, and when I glanced back at him, he continued, "If I may be so bold, I'd like to request that Seidon and I take on Argento."

" _I have no objections._ " I replied, shrugging, " _I was about to suggest that, anyway._ "

"Excellent." Lancelot sighed before briefly explaining, "I saw that fighter in the Warden Test. He intrigues me."

" _Prescott Benedict. I figured he might._ " I said simply before focusing on Penny's Ampelo.

The Air-type sauropod bellowed as I stood before him, his wariness equal parts instinctive and forewarned. He swayed his head, flaunting his small, sharp horns threateningly. I snorted at him and darted forward, my speed making the sauropod appear frozen. Ampelo narrowed his green eyes at me and attempted to step into me. I smirked at the familiar move and flipped over my opponent's back before opening my jaws and unleashing Heaven's Call right in his ear. Shaken, Ampelo reared up and fell over backwards, attempting to crush me under his weight. This time, I laughed outright and rolled out of the way, returning to all fours and jumping onto the sauropod's stomach.

" _Seems you're teaching Penny to take risks. For that, I thank you._ " I said to Ampelo as he struggled to right himself, " _However, I need you to listen right now._ " Surprisingly, Ampelo stopped struggling and looked at me attentively. I smirked at the persistent loyalty. " _Her father is here, along with her bodyguards. He'll try to take her away, you can be sure of that. Pass this message on to Penny and Hypsi when you return._ "

Ampelo blinked at me with wide eyes. He then nodded solemnly before swinging his head at me in a clearly-futile attempt to escape. As I blasted him with my Angel's Fire and he vanished in a flash of light, his deep voice reached me.

" _Of course, Commander. Thank you._ "

" _My pleasure._ " I replied to him as I jumped back to observe my teammates.

Carchar had already taken down Titano, his type and predatory advantage making quick work of his opponent. He now stood to the side, waiting patiently for Seidon to finish his battle with Prescott's Argento. I joined him there and watched the calm, analytic sauropod take on his younger adversary.

Seidon was doing the same thing Carchar did in the previous battle. Except, while Carchar prolonged the battle to savor the enjoyment of a worthy opponent, Seidon was doing so to prolong observation. He and Lancelot were both curious about this duo, and although they could bring down their opponents with relative ease, there was too much they wanted to learn to let it end that quickly. Tail Siege was met with Tail Axe, Neck Breaker with Head Pounder, Body Check with Heavy Shoulder, until I heard Lancelot hum in my earpiece.

"How fascinating." he said, his voice amused, "I think we'll have to keep an eye on this one. What do you think, Seidon?"

" _Agreed._ " Seidon rumbled, a smile on his face as he looked down at his opponent, " _But for now…_ "

"I know." Lancelot replied, glancing at his patiently-waiting teammates before nodding, "We need to finish this. Tail Axe once more."

Seidon nodded before preparing his strongest attack. I saw Prescott's eyes widen, and he called out a countermeasure to his partner. Argento, knowing as well as his fighter did that he couldn't evade it, prepared his Tail Siege. This attack was aimed at Seidon's legs, but Seidon, in a surprising burst of speed, spun around first and slammed his glowing tail into the Earth-type's side. Argento disappeared as my team howled victoriously. I landed on Aggro's Bone Buggy, again in my true form, and we headed back into the waiting area.

The next battle was called more quickly than usual, something I initially found odd. As soon as we faced our opponents, though, I knew why.

"Round five!" Aggro roared excitedly, "Come at me! Coooooome aaaaaat meeeeeeee!"

"Hmm. This team seems to be more fast than it is strong." Lancelot observed calmly.

"Indeed they are." I mumbled in agreement.

"Greetings." Hanzo greeted us simply, his voice tightly controlled.

"Yikes! These guys look tough!" Nate cried, his timidity, though not as prevalent as it used to be, seeming more genuine than usual.

"I'd crush you in a race, and now I'll crush you in battle!" Dahlia declared, the only member of her team who was confident.

"You couldn't even get close to me when we raced." I retorted as I leapt up and took my battle form, " _And you won't touch me in battle!_ "

Dahlia laughed, not taking my words personally as she sent out her newest vivosaur: the light-footed Fire-type Dilopho. The small carnivore flashed his crimson frill at me as he hissed aggressively. Hanzo sent out the familiar pterosaur he'd revived and trained after spending so much time observing my team. The young Thalasso shrieked as he darted around the Stadium in a hyper manner. And Nate sent out his U-raptor, the aggressive vivosaur he'd previously used against Penny's bodyguards. Carchar and Seidon flanked me, standing tall and opposing against the lightly-built opponents, the Earth-type carnivore gnashing his teeth in anticipation and the Water-type herbivore noting idly the same difference his fighter had. I simply shifted my wings as I watched my opponents calmly.

Dilopho attacked first, which came as no surprise to me. It also came as no surprise that the speedy Fire-type was gunning for me. What did surprise me was that Thalasso and U-raptor both followed their teammate, matching his speed as they all closed in on the same target.

" _Oh?_ " I asked rhetorically as I dodged attacks from the three speedy vivosaurs, " _Ignoring my teammates and ganging up on me. That's a tactic I haven't seen in a while._ "

" _Cowards!_ " Carchar roared viciously, insulted and infuriated, " _How dare you ignore us?!_ "

" _It would seem that they intend to pick us off one by one, starting with Commander Tria._ " Seidon observed, not nearly as insulted as he recognized the strategy.

" _It won't work, I'm afraid._ " I growled sadistically as the team charged at me again. My scales glowed with the light of my Blinding Strike, and I unleased my Heaven's Call with my next words, " _YOU'RE A THOUSAND YEARS TOO LATE FOR THAT!_ " I then flapped my wings and lifted myself into the air, sensing more than seeing my opponents surround me once more. Opening my jaws to unleash the white flames, I spun myself around, my Angel's Fire circling me in a violent white vortex not unlike the one I'd used against Leon's pterosaurs during our sparring match. As I paused my spin, the flames still circling me, I smirked.

" _Angel's Fire: Vortex._ " I growled, watching my attack's variation with pride before forcefully extending my wings and sending my flames out over the battlefield. " _Disperse._ "

The disrupted flames spread over the arena, scorching everything in their path. Carchar and Seidon took shelter behind a wall of rock raised my Carchar's Heavy Stomp, but the opposing team was not so fortunate. They were blown back by the force of the vortex, the white fire carried with it knocking out their minimal defense and taking them all out at once. When the flames finally cleared, leaving only my team on the battlefield, the audience was speechless. I stood before our opponents, ignoring my teammates, humans and vivosaurs, gawking at me as I crossed my forearms.

" _As I said._ " I growled to them, " _You're far too late to get me with that trick._ " I smirked at them, my eyes glinting in sadistic amusement. " _I've taken on entire teams on my own before, teams far stronger than yours. When strategizing, never forget who you're dealing with._ " I then reverted back to my true form and jumped back onto Aggro's Rock Crusher, barking a short order for Carchar and Seidon to return to their fighters so we could prepare for the next fight. Back in the waiting area, Lancelot's voice entered my ear.

"Are you all right, Tria?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Of course." I answered simply, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You took on the entire team by yourself." Lancelot said, "Even with their low defense, they were still full-fledged Wardens. Taking them all out at once couldn't have been easy."

"Actually, it was." I replied, my blunt tone seeming to surprise the Green Wave's leader, "Like I told them, I've taken on far stronger teams than theirs. Their speed was their main strength, and that was no defense against me."

"You still should've let us fight." Aggro informed me, his tone one of scolding, "To leave us out of battle is insulting."

"I suggest you take that up with our opponents." I replied, my tone gaining the slight harshness of irritation, "I was attacked by three, so I defeated three. I didn't choose for all of them to attack me, but I don't waste time in battle. If I am attacked by three I can defeat, I will defeat all three. That's just how I fight."

"Understood." Lancelot said, partly to mask Aggro's growl. Before this argument could go any further, we were called back into the arena.

"Round six! I need my fix! These battles are toooooo eeeeeasy!" Aggro roared, his voice fierce with the frustration of the previous battle.

"That comes as no surprise." Lancelot stated, pride mixing with his worry at our previous argument, "We ARE incredibly strong, after all."

"You got that right." I agreed, looking at the three familiar Bone Buggies that had driven out to face us.

"I'm gonna kung fu the hell out of you fools!" Mei Lian's voice challenged from her purple-and-white Speed Demon.

"It's about time someone cut you down to size!" Becky yelled, though the target of her words was unclear.

"Hold on! I'm trying to predict the outcome!" Violet called to her teammates, pausing briefly before growling, "Reply hazy, try again? Oh, COME ON!"

"I predict you're going to lose" I barked back at the team of Warden veterans as I took on my battle form and stood between Carchar and Seidon. Our opponents sent out their team, and the battle began.

Violet's Segno brandished his long claws and charged at Carchar, his experience battling Liu Ren's Tarbo giving him confidence against the large carnivore. Becky's Brachio collided with Seidon, the two titanic sauropods slamming their necks into each other as they pushed for dominance. And Mei Lian's Allo PT faced off against me, growling dangerously as his violet eyes narrowed.

" _You don't look happy, young one._ " I spoke to the Earth-type carnivore, flexing my claws as his glare intensified.

" _I'm not._ " Allo PT snarled viciously as he snapped his jaws at me, " _The pain you've caused my fighter is unforgiveable, and I will make you PAY!_ "

" _Is that so?_ " I rumbled, my voice becoming low and dangerous, " _Your devotion to Mei Lian is impressive, and a wonderful sight to behold, but I have reasons for my actions, too, and those reasons should be taken into consideration as well._ "

" _No reason can justify the level and effects of your betrayal!_ " Allo PT roared, locking foreclaws with me as he tried to bite my neck, " _You have repeatedly taken the side of Mei Lian's sworn enemy, even threatening her to protect him! I will never forgive you for that!_ "

" _Your rage is understandable._ " I said as we pushed back and leapt away from each other, desperately trying to remain calm as I regained my footing, " _I cannot fault you for it, but I will not apologize for accepting Kowloon into my pack and protecting him. I am his alpha, and that won't change._ "

" _I was afraid you would say that._ " Allo PT snarled, swinging his tail at my legs and forcing me to jump back from him, " _You've chosen your side, and it is in opposition to my fighter. For that, I will rip you to shreds!_ " He charged at me with open jaws, baring his teeth and roaring as he did so, " _To turn on Mei Lian after all she's done for you; you don't deserve to be saved! You are nothing but a heartless monster, and the sooner you're out of my fighter's life, the sooner she can move on!_ "

" _SILENCE!_ " I shrieked at my furious opponent, releasing the light of my Blinding Strike to hide the tears in my eyes, " _Insolent creature! I will teach you to watch your tongue when speaking to your superiors!_ " I then lunged at the young Earth-type, my repetitive strikes more brutal than intended. As he returned to his fighter, Allo PT's final words reached me.

" _You are not my superior. You never were, and you never will be._ "

My light faded, but my tears didn't stop. I could hear my teammates' voices, the vivosaurs and the humans, and I noted with detached apathy that the battle had stopped. I stared at the ground for a few more seconds, the dusty terrain blurring as my tears impaired my vision, before lifting my head to look at the opposing fighters. All three veterans were speaking urgently to their screens, all of them panicking. Mei Lian also seemed to be yelling at the Dino Gear in her hand, her eyes wide and furious. All four remaining vivosaurs on the battlefield had turned toward me and were approaching hesitantly.

" _Commander?_ " Segno called to me.

" _Are you all right, Commander?_ " Brachio asked, his voice concerned.

" _Commander, why are you crying?_ " Carchar question, tilting his head.

" _Did your opponent hurt you?_ " Seidon rumbled as he leaned closer to me.

"Tria!" Aggro's voice called from my earpiece.

"Tria, talk to us! Are you all right?!" Lancelot asked, his tone urgent.

I ignored all of the creatures talking to me. My eyes became distant as my claws twitched and I bared my teeth.

" _This is a battlefield._ " I growled, my vivosaurian voice a dead monotone, " _I am your opponent. You should not show me sympathy._ " I then spread my wings, activating my Blinding Strike once more, and lunged at Segno and Brachio. With their near-simultaneous defeats, I shook my head and reverted back to my true form.

" _Never forget your situation._ " I said from the top of Aggro's Rock Crusher, ordering Carchar and Seidon back to their fighters before stating seriously, " _This is a battlefield, and the battlefield is no place for feelings._ "

"Tria." Lancelot addressed me again, the urgency in his voice giving it a sternness just shy of scolding.

"Drive." I said, my tone equally harsh, "The battle's over. Return to the waiting area."

My teammates obeyed my orders, my earpiece silent again. It was the same silence that I'd heard after my fight with Hellcat. Knowing now the purpose of this tournament, I knew the silence meant that my teammates were talking with those behind this little scheme, presumably the Wardens. I just continued looking forward with expressionless eyes, though I could never miss the confident smirk on Mikasi's face and the desperate darting of Luca's eyes. He was looking in that same direction again, the movement becoming more frantic when he saw me looking in his direction. My gaze slid down passed where he was gesturing, scanning it briefly before returning to the roof of the Rock Crusher I was sitting on. I closed my eyes and sighed as we entered the waiting area, looking up again only when I heard breathing return to my earpiece.

"Tria." Lancelot's voice entered my awareness again, his stern tone now uncompromising. He sounded almost exactly like Elric when he'd try to snap me out of a battle mindset, and while I would normally find that eerie similarity funny, right now it just made my scales crawl. "Please, we need you to answer us. Are you all right?"

"Somehow, I doubt I'd've started crying in the middle of a battle if I was all right." I replied, my monotonous tone still on place, "My device isn't going off, though, so I don't think I'm in danger of losing control. You don't need to worry about that."

"That isn't the issue here!" Aggro barked, startling me, "This tournament is supposed to be a good thing for you! It's pointless if it upsets you!"

"I thought this tournament was supposed to test my strength." I barked back, my gaze sharpening briefly before dulling again, "What does my mood matter? If I win and prove my strength, who cares?"

"We care!" Lancelot snapped at me, his voice now becoming unusually harsh, "You're our friend! We care about you, and we want you to be happy!" His voice was also unusually loud, and I smirked bitterly.

"To be bluntly honest, I really don't care what the purpose of this tournament is." I said monotonously, sighing as my voice became tired, "I'm sure your intentions are good, so I won't stop participating, but I don't know how much longer my energy and motivation will last."

There was more silence on my teammates' ends, though their breathing was still present this time. Once we were called back into the arena, Aggro spoke again.

"We're here for you, Tria." he told me, "Whatever that Allo PT said to you, you don't need to worry about it. We will always support you."

"Thanks, Aggro." I said, blinking in the sunlight. I then growled as I added in my head, "Though I don't recall mentioning that it was something Allo PT said that upset me." I shook my head and faced my next opponents. Whose team, oddly, only consisted of two Bone Buggies. My teammates didn't seem put off by that fact.

"GAAAAHHH!" Aggro roared, putting forth more energy than usual, "I'll mow down everything in my path!"

"Don't you think it's time to be serious?" Lancelot asked his wilder teammate, "Our opponents are getting stronger."

"Not strong enough." I sighed as I stood up again.

"Hey! Pipe down over there, Red!" Leon snapped, more short-tempered than usual. I perked up slightly when I heard a second voice speak up from the purple Turf Shredder.

"Make way for Lucky!" the young psychic announced, sticking his head out of the passenger window to wave at me.

"Eeek! Is that Aggro?!" the frightened voice of Roland screamed from his Heavy Hauler, the red-haired berserker unnerving him.

"You know it." I said to the hefty male before addressing the group as a whole, "But as I said, Aggro and Lancelot aren't the ones you need to worry about. I'm the real threat here." I then took to the air, my battle form landing on the scarred ground. Carchar and Seidon flanked me as they always did, and while my opponents sent out their vivosaurs, I looked toward the audience.

As I expected, Lucky's parents were gawking at the sight of their son on the battlefield. His mother had terrified tears streaming from her eyes, her fear appearing to choke her as she covered her mouth with a trembling hand. Lucky's father had gone completely red in the face, his teeth grinding together as he shook with parental rage. He appeared to by trying to stand up, possibly in an attempt to reach his son, but the tightly-packed crowd made any movement impossible. I snorted at the protective parents and shook my head again before turning back to the battle before me.

Roland sent out a new vivosaur he'd been training, just like everyone else had. The Air-type Igua shrieked and charged at Seidon, who seemed to be the safest target for the smaller herbivore. Lucky had released a carnivore he'd revived and trained, likely after watching so many battles with the team of warriors I had raised. The Fire-type Gorgo, though less experienced than mine, was not to be underestimated as he faced Carchar with a look of cold calculation. And Coatlus, Leon's Fire-type partner, flew toward me, intending to make up for the defeat he'd suffered during our aerial sparring session. I smirked at the large pterosaur, some light returning to my eyes.

" _Seems you're eager for a rematch, eh, Coatlus?_ " I growled, amused at the affirming shriek I received. I chuckled lightly before standing taller as my opponent dove at me. To gasps from the audience, I caught Coatlus' Middle Spear in my claws, halting the attack even as it pushed me back several feet.

" _That's quite impressive._ " I purred to the struggling pterosaur, " _All that training with Lythro must've paid off._ " I then tossed Coatlus into the air again, following after him with a single flap of my wings. We hovered for a moment, facing each other, before we both dove, beak and jaws open as we called out our challenge to one another.

" _You got the best of me in our previous match._ " Coatlus said to me, his eyes narrowing as he dodged the snap of my jaws. He then spun around me in a familiar move and shrieked, " _But this time, victory will be mine!_ "

" _Vast Tornado again?_ " I growled, hovering in place as the hot, dry winds of the Fire-type's signature move swirled around me, " _It's gotten stronger, I'll give you that, but it won't be enough to beat me!_ "

" _I know that._ " I heard Coatlus reply, startling me, " _I'm not strong enough to take you down alone. Fortunately…_ " I saw his silhouette stop in front of me, and I could hear the smirk in his voice. " _I'm not fighting alone!_ "

I was about to respond, but my voice was soon drowned out by the Piercing Scream and Primal Roar that soon filled the already-howling winds with deafening noise. Below me, I saw two more silhouettes standing at the base of the twister before being pushed back by two larger silhouettes.

" _Oh, I see._ " I thought to myself, my expression blank, " _That's your strategy. You saw how rushing me all at once didn't work, so you instead combined your long-range attacks into one in the hope that you could overwhelm me without putting yourselves directly in harm's way. I'm glad you're getting better at teamwork and strategizing, but as I told the last time to gang up on me…_ " I opened my jaws, preparing my Angel's Fire as I roared, " _You're a thousand years too late!_ "

I then unleashed my flames into the screaming twister, just as I had during the aerial battle. With the swirling flames hiding my presence, I darted upward toward its summit, releasing Heaven's Call to destabilize the winds. When I emerged, the audience gasping in shock, I turned around and fired a compressed blast of my Angel's Fire into the twister. The explosion near the top of the cyclone set off the rest of the flaming attack in a series of domino explosions that shook the Stadium. I hovered above them, not even needing to flap my wings as the heat and shockwaves from the blasts kept me airborne. I instead used my wings to clear the smoke and dust that covered the battlefield to see who remained standing.

Coatlus had disappeared, the blasts catching him midair, where he was defenseless. Igua was gone as well, the Fire-type energy from Coatlus and Gorgo held in the twister overwhelming him. The last opponent remaining, to my surprise, was Lucky's Gorgo. He'd been weakened by the blast, but he was still on the field, standing his ground against the powerful team before him. I smiled with pride at how much his fighter had grown before shifting my focus to my own teammates.

Even from my position in the air, I could tell they had suffered from the blast. Carchar was actually leaning against Seidon for support, his large, battle-scarred body the only defense he'd had against the explosions. Seidon was in better shape, his size and element allowing him to withstand the powerful attack, but even he was feeling it's effects, his breathing labored and his body trembling. I glided over to them.

" _Are you two all right?_ " I asked, eyeing them both warily.

" _Fine._ " Carchar snarled, glaring up at me, " _You pack quite a wallop, even when we're on the same team._ "

" _That wasn't all my attack, you know._ " I told the wounded carnivore, my eyes narrowed as I looked at the two Bone Buggies on the other side of the field.

" _It was your attack that set it off, though._ " Seidon rumbled, his own red eyes practically glowing with disapproval, " _You need to be more considerate of your teammates. We're not as strong as you are._ "

" _And whose problem is that?_ " I snapped back at the herbivore, " _This is supposed to be a tournament of strength, is it not? Should I really hold myself back in such a test just because my teammates can't keep up?_ "

" _Of course not!_ " Seidon responded, becoming more volatile as his rare temper flared, " _I just don't want you to attack us as well!_ "

" _If you get in the way of my counterattack, that's on you._ " I snarled as I continued to hover, " _I'm supposed to limit the amount of damage I take, so I counter with that limitation in mind. The path I take is one of self-preservation, unless I have someone to protect._ " I then narrowed my eyes and glared at the sauropod. " _Do you want me to protect you?_ "

" _Never!_ " Carchar roared, rising so he stood on his own again, " _We are your teammates, not your wards! You should never have to protect us!_ " He then charged at our last remaining opponent with jaws agape, his Raging Fangs sending the smaller carnivore back to his fighter.

" _I didn't think you did._ " I hissed as I reverted back to my true form and landed on Aggro's Rock Crusher. My landing must've been heavier than usual, because the words Aggro had been starting to say were cut off the moment my feet hit his roof. I paid him no mind, simply sighing as I sagged against the metal below me. I didn't open my eyes until we were in the darkness of the waiting area, when Aggro spoke up again.

"Are you all right, Tria?" he asked, attempting to look up at me through his windshield.

"I haven't been all right since our fight with the veterans." I snarled, my tone vicious, "And each battle seems to make things worse. Whatever 'good' this tournament was supposed to do, it most certainly isn't."

This seemed to catch both of my teammates off guard. They both gasped audibly, and I heard one of the voices cut out completely. After a few seconds, I heard Aggro's voice again.

"Do you want to stop the tournament?" he asked, the serious offer laughable coming from the bloodthirsty berserker, "We can, you know."

"Can we, now?" I asked rhetorically before chuckling, "But retiring from a tournament is the same as admitting defeat, right? No thanks." I could tell Aggro was about to say something, so I beat him to the punch. "I never give up. Never. I have never given up before, and I'm not about to start now."

That seemed to shock the redhead, and, judging by the second set of breathing that had returned right before I'd responded to Aggro, Lancelot had heard me as well. Lancelot's radio cut out again as Aggro chuckled.

"Well, Tria, it would appear that we have underestimated you once again." he said, almost sounding choked up as he added, "I am honored to fight alongside a warrior such as yourself." He looked up at me through his windshield again, and this time, I met his gaze. "We'll see this through to the end, together."

"Indeed we shall." Lancelot agreed as his voice returned to my earpiece, "And this time, we'll actually be a help to you, rather than a burden."

"I hope so." I replied, looking straight ahead as we were called back into the arena, "I don't want Carchar and Seidon to get hurt by my attack again."

"Neither do we." Lancelot said, sighing lightly, "Your attacks pack a punch, even when we aren't the direct focus of them."

"I know that. Seidon in particular was not happy with me." I agreed, before adding ominously, "But I will tell you this." I looked down at them as we stopped in the arena to await our next opponents. "The damage they suffered could've been far worse, had I not countered that attack."

I saw both men tense, and I turned back to our opponents without another word. All three Bone Buggies before us were familiar, and I knew this battle wouldn't be easy.

"Finally! Now we're gettin' somewhere!" Aggro roared gleefully at the sight of our next opponents.

"Glad to see you're finally getting serious." Lancelot said with an amused chuckle.

"You'll need to be." I added, "Against these three."

"Well then." Liu Ren said, almost sounding like he was responding to a challenge, "Shall we dance?"

"Nothing can stand in the way of a true hero!" Sean declared, giving me a grin and a thumbs up through his windshield.

"WE WILL STRIP YOUR TENDONS AND MAKE JERKY FROM THE TENDONS AND THEM CONSIME SAID JERKY!" Drake roared at me, his berserker nature showing itself proudly.

"We'll see about that!" I roared back as I took my battle form. With Carchar and Seidon once again at my side, the battle began.

As I expected, Carchar collided eagerly with Drake's Cerato, the two berserker fighters battling for dominance. Seidon pushed against Liu Ren's Amargo, the two slow-moving sauropods able to match each other's moves. And I faced off against a new teammate of Sean's, who'd only recently been added to his roster: the Water-type Sucho. We squared off against each other, hunter vs. hunter, and circled threateningly.

" _I don't think I know you._ " I growled, recognizing my opponent's patience immediately.

" _We've never been properly introduced._ " Sucho growled in response, snapping his jaws at me in a mock-lunge, " _But I have seen and heard plenty of you. You are a huntress of impeccable caliber, and so you are the perfect opponent for me._ "

" _Wishing to test your skills against me, are you?_ " I purred, my tone bordering on sadistic as I smirked, " _You must be confident, if you're able to see me as a test._ "

" _I have been thoroughly trained in the ways of the hunters._ " Sucho growled as we exchanged blows. As I threw him back, he returned my smirk and added, " _But, as things currently stand, I don't stand a chance against you._ "

" _Oh, I see._ " I growled, " _So this is just to see where you stand, eh? I can get behind that. However…_ " I hissed, my neck moving like a snake as I dropped onto all fours. " _That also means that I won't hold back!_ " I then lunged forward, claws splayed, and struck the young Water-type squarely in his chest. Sucho disappeared in a flash of light, but his final words lingered.

" _We will save you, Tria. Count on it._ "

I stood back from the battle as the light faded. Carchar and Seidon hadn't been able to do much fighting in the tournament's latter half, so I decided to leave them to their battles without interfering. I took this moment instead to scan the audience and gauge the moods of the spectators.

Most of the audience was still as excited as they had been at the start of the tournament, any fear of me seeming to fade in the face of the enjoyment such entertaining battles brought. The only individuals who looked concerned were the ones who knew me.

Dr. Digmore, who had been taking notes on the battles like he usually did, had put his notebook down to watch me more closely. Beside him, Dino Gigante sat with his arms crossed. Although his expression couldn't be seen, his triceratops mask in place as usual, his fingers were clearly digging into his arms, betraying his nervousness. Nearby, Lucky's parents were glaring at me with a determined resolve. In the first-class section, Penny's father was speaking with the triplet guards, his uncompromising ferocity and their tense affirmations making it clear what they were talking about. Ruby had a strange look on her face, indignant and insulted, but also contemplative. She'd been watching closely ever since her sister had appeared on the battlefield. Sydney was speaking urgently with the man beside him, his expression anxious. I then looked toward the section where Mikasi's group was sitting and noticed something odd.

Mikasi was still there, his confident smirk still in place. Luca and Acacius were in their usual places, too, looking much more frantic than the last time I'd seen them. Luca was repeatedly glancing at that same place again, and Acacius was staring at me intently. And this time, I knew what had them so agitated: Angel and Xavier were missing. I glanced at the stands again, seeing nothing unusual, before turning back to the group and snarling openly at Mikasi. I then turned back to my teammates just in time to see their battles reach their conclusions.

"Carchar! Raging Fangs!" Aggro ordered, his bloodlust intensified from having to sit out from so many battles.

"Seidon! Tail Siege!" Lancelot commanded calmly, though there was a hint of irritation starting to enter his voice.

The two massive vivosaurs rushed their opponents together, their synchronicity well-developed even before the tournament. Cerato, true to his fighter's nature, took the larger Earth-type's attack head-on, biting down on Carchar's shoulder as Carchar bit down on Cerato's neck. Cerato's love of battle drove him on, but Carchar's stamina won out in the end, and the smaller vivosaur reverted back to a Dino Gear and returned to his fighter as his opponent howled victoriously. Amargo, commanded by calculating experience, was far more cautious in dealing with his opponent, who held an advantage in both size and element. The smaller sauropod tried to outflank his larger foe and slam into his side, but Seidon's experience proved too much for even the more ancient creature. The Water-type spun around a full 360 degrees, slamming his glowing tail into the Fire-type and sending him back to his fighter with a flash of light.

"YYYEEEES! WE ARE UNSTOPPABLE!" Aggro cheered.

"On to the finale!" Lancelot said, a smile in his voice.

"So the finale is coming up." I thought to myself as I returned to my normal form and perched on Aggro's Rock Crusher again, "That explains why you've finally made your move, Mikasi." I glanced back at the group to find Mikasi was watching everything around him with an expectant gaze. I narrowed my eyes and stared straight ahead as we returned to the waiting area. As we entered the shaded area, I addressed something inside my head.

" _You're awfully complacent today. What's going on?_ "

" ** _Heh heh. You'll find out soon enough._** "

" _Damn you, Dart._ " I snarled, my voice barely a rumble.

"Did you say something, Tria?" Lancelot asked, sounding more curious than worried.

"Nothing you need to worry about." I replied as I realized that I had spoken in a different vivosaurian dialect that the translators couldn't pick up. I then looked in the direction of Luca's anxious glances and spoke again. "There's something I need to check on. I'll be back."

"What?!" Aggro exclaimed in shock.

"Tria? Where are you-?!" Lancelot tried to ask, but I turned off my radio earpiece and darted into the shadows before he could finish his question.

I bounded quickly into the area beneath the stands, scanning the darkness for anything suspicious. And I soon found it.

" _Well, well, well._ " I purred sadistically as the figure I'd found jolted, "Looks like I've found a rat. Lucky me."

The figure spun around, dropping the bag he'd been carrying and letting many suspicious objects spill from it. There were many more of those items scattered throughout the nearby area.

"Looks like I caught you before you could spread too many of those things around. Good timing for me, not so much for you." I continued as I approached the trembling figure, "Mind telling me what those things are, Xavier?"

Xavier shuddered at the thinly-veiled venom in my voice. His shaking hand reached for his pocket as his equally-shaky voice spoke back.

"I-I-I'm n-not s-scared of y-you, C-C-Commander T-Tria." he stuttered, barely managing to hold on to his Dino Gears as another shudder ran through him, "I-I'm s-stronger now! I c-can-"

"I think not." I snarled as I was suddenly in front of him, gripping his wrist and forcing him to drop his Dino Gears, "You can't control the power you're messing with, and even if you could, you wouldn't want to release it here."

"What do you know?!" Xavier barked back at me suddenly, indignantly, "You don't know anything about me!"

"I know you're messing with dark energy." I stated, making the boy in my grasp jump, "I also know that what you're doing is a part of a plan to sabotage this tournament, courtesy of Mikasi. I assume that his ultimate goals involve killing me and, let me guess, getting rid of the Wardens? A bold move, I must say." My glare intensified and darkened as my voice became solemnly serious. "I can also tell you this: you do not want to release any vivosaur in a place like this, especially a dark vivosaur you can't control."

"And why not?" Xavier argued, his indignant bravery impressive as it took hold of his shaking voice, "You think I care if some people die?"

"If you're working for Mikasi, I doubt it." I replied, my serious tone remaining, "But you don't strike me as the type who'd be willing to go out with those people."

That made Xavier pause, my words startling the prepared retort from his lips. After a few moments of his mouth flapping like a fish, he responded with a dazed, "Huh?"

"What do you think would happen if an out-of-control vivosaur was released in a space like this?" I asked, growling with the question, "This entire area of the stands would collapse! Right on top of you!"

Xavier staggered backward at the sudden realization brought by my words. Or, at least, he tried to, but my grip on his wrist didn't allow for much movement. His eyes darted around the dark area, as if looking for someone to save him.

"M-Mikasi!" Xavier stuttered, his demeanor quickly becoming desperate, "H-He'd save me! And Angel! She wouldn't let me die!"

"I see." I mumbled as I picked up the two Dino Gears. Only one of them was corrupted, the untouched one trembling fearfully at being in close proximity to it, "So that's your fuel for the dark energy. Your denial and despair, the pain of being hopelessly in love with someone who wants nothing to do with you." I looked into the tearful brown eyes of the boy in front of me, my grip loosening enough for it not to hurt him. "That must be quite difficult. I'm sorry you have to go through that, but I can't let these plans continue." I led him over to the bag he'd dropped. "I can't promise you won't face some kind of punishment for your actions against the Wardens and civilians of the Fossil Parks, but if you cooperate with me, I can promise that your side will be heard and considered in the judgement. What do you say?"

"Why should I listen to you?!" Xavier snapped at me, his glare surprisingly piercing.

"At the moment, because your arm is being held in a claw that could snap it like a twig without the slightest effort." I replied simply, feeling the boy flinch before adding, "As for your future trial, well…" I turned back to the captured boy and smiled. "Let's just say I know more about the effects of the dark energy and the negativity that fuels it than anyone here. I know what it can do to even the kindest and gentlest of souls, and I know how to see beyond it." I turned away from the surprised boy, my smile still in place as I walked out from under the stands. "That's all I can offer you right now. Just think about it, 'kay?"

I looked back at Xavier to see him staring unseeingly at the ground. "Dude…" I heard him whisper under his breath, the boy not even struggling as I led him to the circle of Bone Buggies that would contain him until the tournament was over. As I approached them, seen by no one, I turned my earpiece back on and tuned it into their radios' frequency.

"…can't continue until we find her." Captain Stryker's voice entered my ears, "Are you sure you don't have any idea where she went?"

"We've got nothing." I heard Aggro reply.

"Tria didn't give any indication that she would leave until she did." Lancelot added, his tone equally worried and frustrated, "She just said she needed to 'check something out' and disappeared."

"Did Sucho say something to hurt her, like Mei Lian's Allo PT did?" Becky wondered out loud.

"Never!" Sean roared at his sister, sounding furious, "My vivosaurs would NEVER turn on Tria!"

"Are you saying mine would?!" Mei Lian screeched at the American leader, completely disregarding the man's authority.

"Your vivosaur DID turn on her!" Leon snapped back viciously, "She was CRYING after what that damn lizard said to her!"

"ENOUGH!" Stryker boomed, quieting the quarreling Wardens, "Fighting like this is pointless. Not only that, it is detrimental to Tria!" There was a tense silence among the gathered group. I could see through the windows how on edge everyone was. The cringes on the leaders' faces, the terror in the eyes of the rookies and allies, the pain of the veterans, all made me close my own eyes against the collective desperation that permeated the group. I opened my eyes when the Captain spoke again.

"Elric." he addressed his emissary, the silver-haired male having known me longer than anyone else, "Can you think of anywhere Tria might have gone?"

"Maybe she went to the bathroom." Spike answered, trying to maintain a casual air, "She did in the marathon tournament we investigated."

"She didn't actually say she went to the bathroom." Gauss corrected her friend, "You just assumed she did."

"She didn't then, and she hasn't now." Elric stated, confident in his knowledge of my nature, "In the marathon tournament, she was catching the cheater before he could reach the team he was helping. I wouldn't be surprised if she's doing something similar now."

"You mean there actually WAS cheating in that tournament?!" Gauss exclaimed, her glasses slipping in surprise.

"And Tria didn't tell us?!" Spike added, insulted.

"Does Tria think one of us is cheating?" Sapphire asked, still sounding hesitant in the presence of the high-level fighters.

"I doubt it." Liu Ren muttered, "She probably would've confronted us directly if she did."

"Liu Ren's right." Elric agreed, "Tria doesn't beat around the bush if she doesn't have to. Chances are she noticed something and headed straight for it."

"But why would she not be telling us?!" Olga cried, distressed, "Why would she not be letting us in on plan?!"

"It is possible she's angry at us for keeping the tournament's purpose a secret from her." Professor Little supplied hesitantly, "Secrets frequently sow seeds of distrust, as she knows well."

"Not my alpha." Kowloon growled in disagreement, "She knows the distrust of secrets, but she also knows their purpose." I saw him shake his head as his right eye narrowed. "No. More likely, she wanted to catch whatever she saw before it got away, and didn't want to risk alerting it to her attack."

"That sounds like more of a possibility." Elric agreed with Kowloon, "Tria tends to react quickly, and is used to working on her own. She's also on guard for anything, so it's also possible that telling us what she's doing may alert whoever or whatever she's after as well."

"Tria thinks of everything." Nate muttered, almost sounding bitter, "Dunno how she does it…"

"My head hurts…" Frett agreed with a groan.

"Get yourself together, old sport." Prescot said to his partner, comforting despite the wording, "We need to remain strong and finish this."

"I couldn't agree more." Stryker stated, and everyone in the group turned to him, "You all know the reason we're holding this Cup. We must not lose sight of that goal!"

"YEAH!" the Wardens all called in unison.

"That goal will have to wait, I'm afraid." I said as I returned the headset to my mouth, "We've got a bigger problem before us right now."

I actually saw several Bone Buggies jolt as their occupants jumped at the sound of my voice. I walked into the middle of the circle made by the Bone Buggies, dragging the resistant Xavier with me.

"Tria! You're back!" Penny cried happily.

"We were scareder than a foal in a thunderstorm!" Daisy added, tears in her eyes.

"Where'd you disappear to, Tria?" Sapphire asked me, her voice heavy with concern.

"And who is that you have with you?" Captain Stryker addressed me, driving forward to face me directly.

"The newest Wardens should be able to identify him." I replied, pushing Xavier directly on front of the new graduates so they could see him better.

"Is that…?" Prescott muttered, his eyes narrowing into a glare as he recognized the other boy.

"It's Xavier!" Frett called out, waving his arms wildly in greeting, "What's up, man? Haven't seen you since the Warden Test!"

"Who is that again?" I heard Leon whisper.

"He was one of the candidates from the last Warden Test." Lucky whispered back, and when I looked up at the purple Turf Shredder, I saw him clinging to the older boy again, "He lost in the first round."

"Lame." Leon muttered, only to jolt when he saw me looking at him.

"Xavier Voclain." Stryker said, addressing the boy directly through the speakers of his Digger's Rig, "We have no policy preventing you from returning to the Fossil Parks, but there must be a reason Tria brought you here. Can you tell us what it is?"

Xavier jolted at all the eyes that were on him. He then looked at the floor again, saying nothing.

"I found him spreading these under the stands." I said, knocking the bag he was still carrying from his hands with my tail. Immediately, the strange devices spilled onto the ground, the gathered humans gasping at the sight of the unfamiliar objects.

"Wh-Wh-What are those?!" Drake cried fearfully.

"They can't be good, whatever they are." Sasuke stated bluntly.

"No shit, Sherlock." Leon snapped at the older ninja.

"Professor!" Captain Stryker ordered.

"Already on it!" Little chirped as he got out of the Captain's Bone Buggy and approached us. He hesitated when he reached my side, but he continued to the devices before I could react. He knelt by one of them, examining it for a few seconds before he lurched backward and gasped, "Good heavens!"

"What is it, Professor?" Stryker asked urgently.

"Bombs!" the child professor reported to everyone's shock, "They appear to be triggered remotely. There are enough here to do extensive damage!"

"You were spreading bombs under the stands?!" Frett cried, hurt and betrayed.

"Why would you do that, Xavier?!" Daisy cried, distressed.

"…" Xavier said nothing, still staring at the ground.

"I managed to stop him from placing these." I told the Wardens, looking around at all of them, "But there are still some left. I suggest finding them before they can be set off."

"Right!" Stryker agreed, turning back to his Wardens, "Liu Ren! Go retrieve the leftover bombs from under the stands!"

"Of course, Captain." Liu Ren affirmed immediately.

"Hanzo, Becky, Prescott, you three go with him!" the Captain ordered, "Remember, be careful not to set any of them off. Treat them with care."

"Yes sir!" the three addressed Wardens responded loudly. As the group drove off in direction I pointed to, Stryker gave his next orders.

"Drake! Watch Xavier!" he told he viking, "Don't let him out of your sight!"

"O-Of course…" Drake stuttered, approaching us on foot and grabbing Xavier's arm as I released the captured boy. I exchanged a smile with the timid man as Stryker spoke again.

"Penny, Mei Lian, Leon, Olga, Frett, you guys watch him, too! Make sure he doesn't make any suspicious moves!"

"With pleasure." Leon and Mei Lian growled in unison.

"You can be counting on us!" Olga promised with a smile.

"We won't fail you!" Penny added.

"Yeah…" Frett mumbled, unusually subdued as he glared hurtfully at his former friend. Stryker simply nodded before addressing the rest of the Wardens.

"Everyone else, place yourselves throughout the audience! Maintain constant vigilance during the rest of the tournament! If you spot anything, and I mean ANYTHING, suspicious, report it immediately!"

"Yes sir!" the others chorused back. Everyone started driving off, but the Captain then stopped several of them with his next words.

"Lucky, Sapphire, Spike, Hellcat, Rocky, Gauss, and Sasuke." he addressed the non-Wardens in the group, "I must ask you all to return to the audience and stay out of harm's way."

"What?! Why?!" Lucky cried, his arms tightening around Leon.

"We not stay?!" Rocky yelled disbelievingly.

"We've been here for the whole tournament!" Hellcat called angrily, "Why do we have to leave now?!"

"We may not know all of what's going on." Spike added seriously, "But we'll still help you, however we can."

"Spike's right." Gauss stated, "If a serious threat really is here, you'll need extra fighters."

"I am a master ninja, and, unlike these guys, I actually know what's going on!" Sasuke snapped, his red eyes glaring at the members of the Red Fang and Green Wave, "You'll need my skills for this!"

"I know quite a lot about this situation as well." Sapphire said, surprising everyone, "Probably more than I should, if I'm being honest. Even so…" The younger Bling sister glared at the Captain, her eyes like daggers sharpened by determination. "I promised Tria that I would do everything in my power to help her and the Wardens, and I will not break that promise!"

"I understand your frustration at being excluded, and I admire your willingness to put your lives on the line." Captain Stryker replied earnestly before shaking his head, "But I must decline your requests. This is a lot more serious than we anticipated, and no matter how strong or determined you are, you're not Wardens, and I can't put you at risk. Also, as you've already mentioned, you don't fully know what's going on, and are therefore ill-prepared to handle the situation. With it already worsening, we can't afford any mistakes. The stakes are too high, the risks too great, the margin of error too small, for us to take any chances now."

The group of non-Wardens all looked at each other, still displeased. Then, one-by-one, they drove out of the waiting area, Hellcat in a huff, Rocky pouting, Spike and Gauss speaking urgently between each other, and Sasuke with a thundercloud over his head. Lucky refused to let go of Leon, looking up at him pleadingly, and Sapphire drove up beside the purple Turf Shredder.

"Lucky, dear, we need to leave the Wardens to their work." the woman said gently to the distressed boy, "You can ride with me, if you like."

Lucky didn't say anything, but he shook his head vigorously and stared up at his idol again. Leon closed his eyes and shook his head in return.

"I'm sorry, Lucky, I really am." he replied, for the first time actually wrapping his arm around the boy in a return embrace, "But the Captain's right; this is getting dangerous. There's already the threat of bombs, and who knows what other surprises might be around the corner." He gave the young boy an affectionate squeeze and ruffled his hair before telling him honestly, "I know you wanna help, and that's really brave, but this is over your head. I don't want you to get hurt, so let us handle things this time. Please."

Lucky watched his idol with tearful eyes, not wanting to leave. He then lowered his head and nodded, giving Leon one last hug before getting out of the Turf Shredder and heading to the passenger side of the dark blue Speed Demon. As the vehicle left, Leon clenched his teeth hard.

While this was going on, I met with Elric and Kowloon on the ground, in between their Bone Buggies. All of us had removed our headsets' mouthpieces to our foreheads to prevent our conversation from being overheard.

"Are you sure you're all right, Alpha?" Kowloon asked me, his voice low with concern, "This tournament has not been kind to you."

"Despite your best intentions, I'm sure." I replied, looking at both men apologetically, "I know the purpose of this tournament, and while I am grateful for the attempt, I'm afraid it won't be that easy."

"We knew this wouldn't be easy." Elric said, looking terribly upset, "But it was the only chance we had! You've been getting worse, and the daily doses of light energy aren't enough. We had to take a risk, or we'd lose you for sure!"

"Would've been fine, had those cursed girls not ruined it!" Kowloon snarled viciously, his rage making him tremble.

"It's not Mei Lian's fault that Allo PT is so angry with Tria. In fact, she was harsher with him that any of us were." Elric said in the Warden's defense, "As for Hellcat, we should've known better than to let her join. We were too optimistic, and too willing to bank on your forgiving nature. I should've known better than to push you."

"Don't blame yourself, Elric." I said gently to my friend, placing a wing around him, "Optimism is necessary for what you were attempting. You shouldn't fault yourself for it." I then sighed. "But, unfortunately, the damage has been done, and it's only going to get worse."

"It is?" Elric asked me, looking confused.

"How so, Alpha?" Kowloon growled as he instinctively edged closer.

I looked at both males, their eyes shining with worry, and lowered my voice further.

" _Mikasi's here._ " I growled to them, my unique vivosaurian dialect undetectable by the translators, " _He's planning something, and, knowing him, it's not going to be good._ "

"Mikasi?" Elric whispered harshly, "You mean the kid from the tour who first made you lose control?"

"The one who was at the Warden Test?" Kowloon snarled, remembering how tense I'd been after I'd seen him.

" _That's him._ " I replied, " _Ever since that incident, he's been plotting my demise and the destruction of the Wardens._ " I let that shocking information sink in before adding, " _After the last Warden Test, he gathered the four failed candidates and has been hiding in an unknown location. I don't know many details, but I do know that he's been messing with dark energy. I can also be fairly certain that he's the one who stole the robot that contained Blackraven's consciousness, so there is a possibility that he has a hand in this as well._ "

"Slow down, Tria!" Elric snapped at me, struggling to keep his voice down, "You're saying that Mikasi, Leon's childhood enemy, is working with Dr. Blackraven to kill you and overthrow the Wardens, and the Warden candidates who failed, including Xavier, are working with him to do so?"

"I'm still not 100% sure Dr. Blackraven is in on it." I replied, "But the rest is more-or-less accurate."

"And they're here?" Kowloon growled urgently.

"Yes." I replied, more certain this time, "The bombs Xavier was planting were no doubt Mikasi's idea, and, from the look on his face when I saw him in the audience, he's got far worse up his sleeve."

"Should we stop the tournament?" Elric asked worriedly.

"No." I replied instantly, "If we do that, he might lash out at the audience. From what I can tell, his target is me and the Wardens. We need to avoid putting innocent people at risk if we can help it."

"But what about you, Alpha?" Kowloon almost whimpered, looking at me pitifully, "How can we protect you?"

"Keep watch." I answered him, looking up to meet his eye, "Stay alert, remain vigilant, and if you see suspicious movement, let me know. That's what I need you to do, Kowloon."

"Yes, Alpha." Kowloon growled automatically, before hesitating, "But…"

"Mikasi is smart. He'd notice if you made a move." I told him seriously, "We have to be ready to counter whatever he has planned, and we can do that best by not provoking him into early action." I tilted my head at the tall male. "Do you understand, Kowloon?"

"Yes, Alpha." Kowloon said again, his trust in me heartwarming. He then ran off to observe the section of the audience where Mikasi was seated. Once the human-vivosaur was out of earshot, Elric stepped closer.

"Are you sure we can afford to wait, Tria?" he asked, his voice just as serious as mine, "The situation's delicate enough as it is."

"We've seen these types of situations before, Elric." I told him, sighing tiredly, "There is no 'good' outcome. Sometimes you have to choose between the lesser of two evils."

"I can't accept that!" Elric snapped at me, "We're trying to save you! We can't give up on you just because some more risks have appeared! We're not giving up! I'm not-"

Elric's indignant rant was suddenly cut off as I stepped forward and embraced him. I held him tightly, wrapping my wings around him and running my wing-claws through his long silver hair as I whispered in his ear.

"I'm sorry Elric. Truly, I am. I can't put into words how grateful I am for everything you and everyone else has done for me. But this isn't something that can be settled so easily. I already told you of the unlikelihood that I can win against Dart and the dark energy completely, and while I can't help but admire this effort, I'm afraid it can no longer be prioritized. There is another danger emerging, and this danger may not allow us the luxury of preserving me. You'll have a hard enough time preserving everyone else."

Elric returned my embrace just as tightly, burying his face in my shoulder, and shuddered.

"I thought you said you weren't giving up." he said, his shaking voice accusatory, "Why does the appearance of a single enemy shake your resolve so much?"

"I never give up." I replied proudly, "But Mikasi's appearance has narrowed the range of realistic possibilities. I have to take whatever he's planning into account. My expectations have dropped, but I never give up."

"Except on yourself." Elric muttered, and I felt his tears on my shoulder, "You sacrificed yourself once for this world already, and you're planning to do it again."

"If that's what it takes." I affirmed, tightening my embrace slightly before releasing him, "One issue at a time, Elric. We'll deal with this, and once we see where it leaves us, we'll deal with the next."

"As long as there's still a 'we' after this." Elric said, drying his eyes with his sleeve. I looked around curiously when I noticed something odd.

"By the way, where's Nibbles?" I asked, tilting my head, "I haven't even heard his voice through the entire tournament."

"He's with me." Elric replied, lowering his arm and looking at me, "You'll see him, if this tournament continues."

"And it will." I stated stubbornly, crossing my arms, "As I said before, stopping the tournament will not benefit us. We need to make Mikasi think we have no idea he's here, or he may feel compelled to act early. Instead of alerting Mikasi to our plans, we need to focus on getting people out of harm's way as quietly as we can."

"The Wardens will handle that." Elric told me as we headed for his Speed Demon, "All you need to worry about is yourself."

At that, I burst out laughing, even Elric chuckling at the ludicrous request.

"You do remember who you're talking to, right, Elric?" I asked him, grinning in amusement despite the situation.

"Quite well." Elric replied, also smiling, "Well enough to know how to make you laugh, even in times like this."

"Thank you, Elric." I said, hugging him once more before letting him climb back into his Bone Buggy.

"Anytime, Tria." Elric replied, gripping my hand before releasing it, "You've never worried about your own safety. That's always been my job, and that will never change."

"Thank you, Elric." I said again, not knowing how else to express my gratitude, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably the same thing you're doing now." Elric replied, his smile fond, "But without anything to catch you when you fall."

I chuckled at that, my smile bitter. "You really do know me very well." I then turned away from my friend, and, after scanning the area to assess the situation with the Wardens, headed back to my teammates for the final battle.

"So that's where you ran off to, Tria." Lancelot said in place of a greeting, "You could've given us some kind of warning before you left. We were very worried."

"I couldn't think of one." I replied simply, my tail thrashing, "Sorry about that."

"Matters not!" Aggro announced, laughing with exhilaration, "The final battle is upon us! Let us ROOOAAARRR! And GRROOOAAAARRR! Let us finish this in a blaze of glory!"

"I'm sure we will." I said, grimacing. We drove out into the arena once more, facing our opponents to deafening cheers.

"The final battle demands a worthy opponent!" Aggro roared, the fire he'd been letting build finally being released.

"Time to bring this show to a splendid conclusion." Lancelot told up proudly.

"Not just this show." I said as I stood up, "There's another show that never should've started. Let us end both."

"You've done more for us than anyone could've ever asked." Captain Stryker said to me, "Let us honor that by giving this battle our all!"

"This will be a battle for the history books!" Professor Little exclaimed, sounding equally nervous and excited.

"I'm sure it will." Elric muttered, sounding as uneasy as I felt. As I took my battle form and my teammates were released, our opponents faced us.

Carchar, unsurprisingly, faced off against Stryker's Spino ST, the two large carnivores snarling at each other. Seidon looked down at Little's Argento warily, the equally-massive Earth-type on a whole other level than the younger one he'd faced earlier. And, also unsurprisingly, I faced Nibbles, who was fighting under Elric's command. As the battle began, I saw the sorrow and fear in Nibbles' eyes.

" _I can see you're distressed, Nibbles._ " I said, my tone apologetic, " _I'm sorry to upset you so much._ "

" _Don't apologize, Tria!_ " Nibbles whimpered back to me, his eyes shimmering, " _None of this is your fault!_ _You're doing your best against the dark energy, and we need to help you! We will help you!_ "

" _If you want to help me, you need to calm down._ " I told him, taking a more aggressive stance, " _This tournament may have been a long shot, but the idea behind it was a good one. I do get joy from battle, so focus on giving me an enjoyable battle that I can give my all!_ "

Nibbles still looked frightened, but he nodded resolutely and took his own battle stance, facing me fully with a determined glare.

" _Just so you know, Tria._ " he snarled, his voice becoming hardened as he entered his battle mindset, " _I'm not very good at holding back!_ "

" _Of course you're not!_ " I roared back, spreading my wings and lunging at the Crimson Ravager, " _I trained you!_ "

We collided forcefully, our claws locked, and held each other in a deadlock.

" _I want to save you, Tria. Just like you saved me._ " Nibbles told me, struggling against my strength, " _But lately, I've been having another thought that I hadn't been expecting._ "

" _Oh?_ " I hummed as I pushed back against him, " _What thought is that?_ "

" _I've been wondering._ " Nibbles answered as we pushed away from each other, " _You're incredibly strong. I've known that since we met, even before you revealed your true form. I've never even considered being able to equal your power. But I've been training with and without you, and I've gotten stronger. Now I want to know…_ "

" _You want to know how strong you are, compared to me._ " I finished for my companion as we struck at each other, " _Whether you're weaker, equal, or stronger. Is that it?_ " When Nibbles nodded, I smirked. " _Let's find out, then._ " We lunged at each other again as I continued, " _Actually, this couldn't be better for me. I'd been wondering the same thing._ " At the surprised look on Nibbles' face, my smirk widened. " _You see, I haven't focused on training since coming here. My skills haven't waned, exactly, but I haven't done much to improve them, either. There was no reason to._ " I sighed briefly at the sorrow in my opponent's eyes before stating, " _You've had plenty of time and opportunity to surpass me. Let's see how far you've come!_ "

With that order, we sped forward with more force than before. We collided again and again, our strength appearing equal. Although I was faster than Nibbles, his defense was higher. He also had more innate power, his body being larger and heavier than mine. My power relied more on my speed and control, striking a vital area at high speed to do damage. I also had experience on my side, having learned my skills and abilities years prior, but Nibbles had more flexibility in his own abilities, more able to adjust his still-developing techniques than I could my long-standing ones. Speed versus strength, stability versus flexibility, Commander versus Alpha, Dragon versus Ravager. This battle continued, each of us matching the other, even losing sight of the other battles going on around us as we fought to see which of us was stronger.

" _You're strong, Nibbles._ " I growled haltingly as I panted from our most recent clash, " _I'm glad. It's very reassuring._ "

" _You're not so bad yourself._ " Nibbles replied, also breathing heavily.

" _Something's not right, though._ " I thought to myself as I crouched on all fours and narrowed my eyes, " _He has gotten stronger, I can see that clearly, but he's predicting my movements a lot better than he should. Even with all of his training, he's never sparred against me before, and the training he's done shouldn't be improving that so much. How are you always one step ahead of me?_ "

I darted around Nibbles, faster than he could follow, and continuously dodged his claws as I struck at his metallic armor. As I leapt over Nibbles' head, I saw something that had completely slipped my mind.

" _Oh, right._ " I thought as I pushed off of Nibbles' head and leapt to the side, " _I'd forgotten that you were working with Elric. That would explain how you're predicting my movements._ " I then narrowed my eyes again as I glanced sideways at my friend. " _But if you're in command here, Elric, with Nibbles' strength, I should've been brought down by now. I shouldn't be able to land so many attacks, with your knowledge of how I fight. So how are we still appearing equal?_ " I bared my teeth viciously as I snarled. " _You're going easy on me, aren't you?! All of you are trying not to hurt me, and so you've been going easy on me! Test of strength my ass! This is a pity tournament!_ "

I shrieked, infuriated, as I spread my wings and leapt into the air. From my aerial perspective, I observed the entire Stadium.

Due to my familiarity with them, I easily picked out the Wardens scattered throughout the crowd. Nate and Roland stuck close together, as they always did, their synchronicity making them like one person with an extra set of eyes. Daisy was paired with Violet, the psychic abilities and veteran experience of the older woman helping to guide the younger Warden. Dahlia was alone in the crowd, the high-rate at which she processed information making it useless for anyone to try to keep up with her. Sean had placed himself in the section with Dr. Digmore and Dino Gigante, likely giving them an abbreviated run-down of the events before the final. There was no grin on his face, and his blue eyes were wide and alert.

Throughout the crowd, I also saw the group of non-Wardens who'd been ordered to leave by the Captain. Well, most of them, Sasuke disappearing as soon as he was dismissed. Hellcat was on her own, her fierce appearance made sharper by her foul mood. Rocky was on his own, too, looking very unhappy. Spike and Gauss stayed together, sharing looks of intensity and worry throughout the match. Sapphire and Lucky had been the last to enter the stands, Lucky's eyes glued on the battle in front of him while Sapphire alternated between looking at her young companion with concern and looking around the Stadium suspiciously. Both individuals ignored their families' attempts to gain their attention as they sat near the edge of the stands.

None of the known individuals in the crowd were happy, either. Dr. Digmore looked like he was about to wet himself, likely in response to the information Sean had given him. Dino Gigante, the unwavering Dino Gigante, was actually trembling. Sydney was equally scared and solemn, while the man next to him looked certain and resolute. Lucky's parents were clearly upset as well. His father was furious at how Lucky had ignored him, while his mother was extremely worried at how out-of-it her son looked. In the first-class section, Ruby was more than a little miffed, her glare focused first on her sister, then, once she realized how little that was doing, on me. Penny's father looked ready to explode with rage when his daughter wasn't among the Wardens who had entered the stands. The triplet bodyguards had grouped close together, the source of their fear shifting from me to their boss. I snorted as I looked toward Mikasi once more.

He was still in his original spot, his smirk only continuing to widen. Luca was sitting next to him, clearly trembling and looking terrified. The reason for his increased discomfort was obvious: Acacius had also disappeared. My eyes narrowed further when I scanned the audience and didn't see him. I snarled openly at the cocky male again, but I didn't get a chance to act. My forgotten opponent launched himself into the air in an attempt to strike me with an uppercut.

" _You're gettin' too full of yourself, too, little one._ " I hissed at the Crimson Ravager as I easily dodged, " _Don't forget who you're dealing with. I'll show you what happens when you underestimate me!_ " I then struck the red vivosaur with my claw, sending him crashing to the ground, and flew back down to hover over my teammates, who had just been pushed back by their opponents.

" _Carchar. Seidon._ " I growled to the two large vivosaurs, catching their attention, " _We can't beat these guys alone. We need to combine our power to stand a chance._ "

" _How do you suggest we do that?_ " Carchar rumbled, sounding strained as he kept his eyes on the opposing team.

" _I'm not sure combining our attacks will be enough to take down all of them._ " Seidon panted, weakened by the type advantage held by his opponent.

" _When did you hear me say anything about combining attacks?_ " I snapped at the narrowminded sauropod, " _I said we need to combine our_ _power_ _to defeat these opponents._ "

" _What do you mean, Tria?_ " Carchar asked me curiously, " _What other ways are there to combine our power?_ "

" _There are many ways to combine the power of a team._ " I replied, glaring at our opponents as they started toward us, " _The way I'm suggesting is a technique lost long ago when fighters stopped commanding entire teams. Teams of three different fighters could rarely managed to pull off this technique, so only the most elite and in sync of teams could use it, and it gradually faded out of use and memory altogether. But I can still use it, and I can use it here, as long as I have your complete trust._ " I looked back and forth between the two vivosaurs who were my teammates. " _I need your trust to pull this off. Do I have it?_ "

" _Of course._ " Carchar said immediately.

" _We wouldn't be fighting by your side if we didn't trust you._ " Seidon told me, staring at me with an intense crimson gaze, " _You are the Commander of this team, and we will follow you through this fight._ "

" _Thank you._ " I said, smiling briefly at my teammates before my face fell and my expression hardened, " _Then I will lead, and you two will follow through this attack. It's time for the revival of the Team Skill!_ "

I started glowing again, similarly to the Wrath of the Guardian, but instead of the energy all being released from my body, my light spread to my teammates, bathing them in an opalescent glow, just as it had with Kaishin in the Neo Black Whale. My illuminated teammates charged at our opponents, roaring in unison with the rush of my power. I flew forward as well, taking pleasure in the sudden fear on Elric's face. As I stopped midair, the silhouette of my wings followed my teammates as they collided with Spino ST and Argento.

" _Wings of Light!_ "

Spino ST and Argento both disappeared as soon as the light reached them, the flashes of the two high-level vivosaurs returned to their fighters invisible in the bright light of my Team Skill.

"Nibbles! Counter her! Now!" I hear Elric yell to Nibbles, sounding panicked, "Crimson Rage!"

Nibbles roared, his green eyes becoming crimson as he activated his Boost Skill. Flames blasted from his frill and left his jaws as he met me midair. Our claws locked as we struggled for dominance, Team Skill versus Boost Skill, and when I felt my opponents push me back, I shrieked.

" _I won't fall to you! I won't fall to anyone!_ "

As the rest of my light energy was released, overwhelming everything and everyone on the battlefield, and as all the warmth left my body, I heard a dark chuckle, seemingly right in my ear.

"You're mine."


	62. Set the Wheel Turning

The intensity of the final battle of the Legend's Cup shook the Asian Fossil Park. The audience was going wild as the leaders of the Red Fang and the Green Wave collided with the leaders of the Wardens. Even more intense than those battles was the match between the half-dinaurian know as the Dragon of light and the unique vivosaur known as the Crimson Ravager. Their battle was on an entirely different level from any other in the entire tournament, the high-level matches around them appearing slow-motion in comparison. Both creatures were glowing with immense power, and each collision made the air tremble.

As the battle continued, though, the mood in the atmosphere began to shift. The excitement in the audience that had been fueled by awe was becoming darker and more fearful. Gradually, as the powerful creatures sparred, anxious murmurs began mixing in with the cheers. The individuals who were already unhappy were becoming furious, and their foul mood was spreading to the people around them at an alarming rate. The wariness in the Wardens and their allies was rapidly turning to panic when they noticed the change in the audience.

Hidden in the chaotic stands, the blond male smirked confidently as he saw the dark energy spread over the Stadium. As it corrupted the happy atmosphere, the increasingly-agitated crowd began producing more dark energy, and the exponential growth of negativity started affecting the Dragon herself. Her attacks became more violent, and as her ferocity increased, the fear in the audience increased as well. And as their fear increased, so, too, did the amount of dark energy being produced. The vicious cycle continued as the Dragon shared her power with her teammates, releasing high amounts of light energy in the battle's final attack. And it was then that the black-haired boy noticed something that sent shivers down his spine and made his stomach churn.

Normally, when the Dragon used her light energy, it would start replenishing from the positivity around her. But something was wrong. She was releasing more and more light energy, but there was too much negativity in the Stadium for her to regain any, and as she released the rest of the light energy she had to counter the Crimson Ravager's Boost Skill, Mikasi chuckled.

"Tria…" he murmured, his smirk becoming a sadistic grin, "You're mine."


	63. From The Deepest Desires

The Wardens were moving as soon as the blast from Tria and Nibbles' collision settled. The dust kicked up from the fight obscured the humans' view of the battlers, so Sean called out loudly to the rest of the Wardens in the stands, ordering them to get the audience out of the Stadium. The audience, hearing this, revolted, lashing out at the Wardens who were trying to move them. As violence between the Wardens and the civilians escalated, Mikasi Acerbi approached the edge of the stands, Luca Palladino following him closely as he hunched over to avoid the flying fists and screaming bodies.

"This is going better than I thought." Mikasi said to himself, smirking as he stood on the edge of the arena and surveyed the chaos, "All we need to do right now is watch and wait."

"D-Don't you think w-we've gone too far?!" Luca stuttered as someone almost shoved him into the arena. At the glared Mikasi sent his way, the smaller boy practically curled in on himself and squeaked fearfully.

"Of course not." Mikasi snapped, rolling his eyes as Luca stared at him with wide, tearful eyes, "This riot will undermine the Wardens' authority and power. That's the first step to overthrowing them."

"B-But…" Luca whimpered as he looked around at the aggressive crowd before focusing on the Wardens, who had grouped together alongside Dino Gigante and Dr. Digmore, "People are getting hurt…"

"Of course." Mikasi said, shrugging casually, "You can't overthrow a large organization without someone getting hurt." The blond male ruffled the other boy's hair affectionately. "Don't worry, little Luca. You'll learn how the world works soon enough."

Luca looked up at Mikasi, his silver eyes sharpening at the closed-eyed grin he was being given. By the time Mikasi opened his eyes again, Luca's glare had disappeared, and his gaze was shy and averted once more.

"I h-hope so…" he whispered, watching the dust in the arena begin to settle.

Spino ST and Argento had been defeated by the enhanced strikes from Carchar and Seidon, but the two massive vivosaurs of the professional Fossil Battlers had also fallen to the blast from their teammate's attack. Tria and Nibbles were standing opposite of each other, both breathing heavily. Nibbles looked frightened as he trembled with exhaustion. Tria was on all fours, clutching at her chest as she cringed in pain. Her golden eyes were darting around frantically at the chaos in the audience, looking terribly afraid. Aggro and Lancelot were standing on either side of her, the Red Fang leader holding the large dinaurian's foreleg in a futile attempt to support her, while the Green Wave leader stroked her head to keep her calm. On Nibbles' side of the field, Elric and Professor Little were standing with the crimson vivosaur, trying to comfort him and assess the damage done. Captain Stryker was standing on top of his Digger's Rig with the microphone for his radio in his hand. He was yelling orders to the Wardens in the stands, his dark blue eyes wide as he looked desperately to regain control over the situation.

"Good luck with that, Captain." Mikasi said with a dark chuckle, "You won't be able to get out of this one." He grinned gleefully. "You're finished, old man."

Everyone in the Stadium then looked up as several large shadows passed over them. The crowd of civilians backed away suddenly, with some even falling over the seats behind them and teetering at the edge of the stands. The Wardens looked up at the group of pterosaurs that landed behind them, shrieking in unison at the humans threatening their Warden allies.

"What the-?" Sean gasped as the pterosaurs' passengers waved at them.

"No time to chat! Get on!" Sasuke ordered from the back of his Hopter.

"We're gettin' you outta here!" Spike declared, his Sungari screeching in agreement.

"Spike! Sasuke!" Roland cried, startled.

"What are you guys doing here?!" Dahlia yelled up to them.

"We just told you!" Sasuke snapped irritably, "We are getting you out of this mess. Just get on!"

"Isn't that Hanzo's Thalasso?!" Nate cried, not seeming to process the order.

"And that's Leon's Coatlus!" Sean exclaimed as he recognized the largest of the pterosaurs. He then glared at the two men. "Why are you here? The Captain told you to stay out of this!"

"As if we're gonna do that!" Sasuke replied, snorting derisively.

"We can't just sit back and watch you guys get swallowed like this." Spike stated seriously, "Now get on. They're coming back."

The Wardens looked back to see the angry civilians approaching them again, their fear of the large vivosaurs quickly being overpowered by the rage produced by the dark energy. The Wardens agreed without any further argument, climbing onto the backs of the pterosaurs. As they were lifted into the air, away from the rioting crowd, Daisy spoke up from Coatlus' back.

"How'd ya'll get Leon and Hanzo's vivosaurs, anyhow?" she asked, "I thought they were doin' other stuff?"

" _Master Leon sent me with this group when he noticed you were in danger._ " Coatlus answered for himself, glancing back at his startled passenger, " _He took Ptera and Thalasso to confront someone he saw in the crowd._ "

"Ptera and Thalasso?!" Violet repeated, gulping as foreseen dread set in.

"I thought Thalasso was right here…" Daisy muttered, sounding even more confused.

" _I am the Thalasso who serves under Master Hanzo._ " Thalasso answered directly, " _The Thalasso assisting Master Leon is the one who serves under Nibbles. He was trained by Commander Tria before her death._ "

"A Thalasso Tria trained?!" Daisy gasped, shocked.

"Tria didn't come to this world in her true form." Sean answered from his place on Hopter's back, a guilty tone entering his voice, "She used her holographic disguise for the first month she was here. And since she was disguised as a human, she couldn't fight on her own like she does now, so she trained a team of vivosaurs. That team is now led by Nibbles, and its members are still some of the strongest vivosaurs here."

"If Leon had to take Thalasso along with him," Dahlia said, looking down from Sungari's back to scan the crowd, "I wouldn't want to know who he's facing."

"You think he found out what happened?" Nate asked, looking at his fellow Wardens nervously.

"What do you mean, Nate?" Sean asked, arching an eyebrow, "Do you think something underhanded is going on?"

"W-Well…" Nate stuttered, not used to the attention being on him, "I mean, this riot makes no sense, you know? It looks weird, to us, anyway."

"We were talking about this during the final battle." Roland added from next to his friend, "Everyone looked excited and happy, and we were getting excited, too. But then the yells got angrier, and we started getting scared. We don't know why they were getting angry."

"I don't know why they were getting angry." Dahlia stated, surprising the other Wardens, "But I can tell you what made them worse." When she noticed that she had their attention, she looked down at the pained dinaurian. "When the crowd got angry, Tria and Nibbles' battle got more violent. That didn't help."

"It weren't Nibbles." Daisy whimpered, shuddering as she edged closer to Violet, "Just Tria. She was the one gettin' mad."

"Oh dear." Violet mumbled, patting Daisy's back, "I had a feeling something like this would happen."

"Like what, Violet?" Sean asked, not liking the ominous tone the psychic Warden was using.

"I saw something like this in the Crystal Ball + 1." the witch continued, gripping her wand tightly, "The darkness is spreading. The negativity from the fans spread to Tria, and she amplified the darkness and sent it back to the fans with increased power, leading to…this."

"That explains why the fans are rioting." Sean grumbled as he crossed his arms, "But that doesn't explain why the fans got angry in the first place. They'd been fine for the rest of the tournament."

"I think that is what Leon is trying to find out." Sasuke stated as his red eyes found the other two pterosaurs in the sky.

"Wait…" Sean muttered, his blue eyes widening into terrified dots, "Leon's going to confront whoever's behind this by himself?!"

"Not really." Spike answered, surprisingly calm amongst the riot, "He has his Ptera and Tria's Thalasso. That's a lot of backup on its own. But that's not all he has." Spike looked back at the American leader with a knowing smile. "Hellcat is with him, and she shouldn't be underestimated."

"Hellcat?" Violet asked, her eyes narrowing, "Didn't she make Tria angry during this tournament?"

"Technically." Spike hummed, closing his eyes and sighing, "She made Tria angry during another tournament, when she refused to work with Rocky and forced Tria to take command of all the vivosaurs on the field." The Red Fang's second-in-command then chuckled. "Hellcat can be oblivious, especially to how her actions affect others. But, once she accepts someone, she's loyal. So, once she realizes she's wronged them, she'll do everything she can to make it right." Spike smiled at the Wardens. "And she's a stubborn one. Once she sets her mind to something, she'll see it through. Count on it."

The doubtful gazes followed the Air-type and Water-type pterosaurs that were gliding around slowly. The purple-haired punk rode on the back of his most trusted partner with a pair of binoculars in his hands. The fierce-looking Red Fang member rode on Thalasso's back, looking more than a little nervous. Her light green eyes kept darting to Leon, the harshness of the Warden's nature increasing the hostility he was showing her. Leon then noticeably tensed when he turned his binoculars to the edge of the stands.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled, startling Hellcat and causing Ptera and Thalasso to look up at him. They then all turned their eyes in the direction Leon was looking, and although Hellcat couldn't see the cocky blond, Ptera and Thalasso could. Thalasso didn't recognize Mikasi directly, but Ptera's reaction told the Water-type all he needed to know, and they both opened their beaks and bared their claws as they landed on the edge of the arena, directly in front of the Fossil Park intruders.

"Hello there, Leon." Mikasi greeted his old enemy, not even phased by the appearance of the large, angry pterosaurs, "Long time, no see."

"Not long enough." Leon snarled, glaring at the person who had once pretended to be his friend, "What are you doing here, Mikasi?"

"Watching the tournament, obviously." Mikasi replied, smirking as he looked around the Stadium, "Doesn't seems to be going well, does it?"

"Don't play dumb, Mikasi." Leon growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously, "What are you really doing here? I thought you weren't allowed back in the Fossil Parks."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Mikasi asked, arching an eyebrow at the Warden, "I was sent away, but I was never told that I couldn't come back. Besides…" His smirk widened into a sadistic grin as his hazel eyes focused on the struggling half-dinaurian. "I have some unfinished business here in the Fossil Parks."

"So you ARE up to something!" Leon snapped, standing up on Ptera's back as the two pterosaurs took battle stances, "I don't know what you're planning, but I won't let you hurt Tria!"

At that declaration, Mikasi burst out laughing.

"Oh, it's too late for that, my friend." he chuckled, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement as he pointed toward Tria, "I've already made my move."

As Leon turned to look at Tria, his eyes wide with panic, Mikasi laughed again and sat on the edge of the arena. "You've already failed to protect your precious dinaurian. All you can do now is watch as your world falls apart."

"Like hell, Mikasi!" Leon roared, gripping Ptera's crest as he flew back into the air, "We're gonna save Tria, and we're not gonna let you stop us!"

"You're as arrogant as ever, Leon." Mikasi said in a low, threatening voice, "You make me sick."

Leon glared at the offending male, his eyes burning with hatred, before his gaze caught the quaking form hiding behind Mikasi.

"Let me guess." he growled, glaring more directly at the nervous male, "You're another one of the people who failed the last Warden Test."

Luca squeaked, attempting to hide more behind his companion, but Mikasi reached back and pulled him forward, hugging the smaller boy around his shoulders as he smirked up at Leon.

"You're not very good at remembering people, are you, Leon?" Mikasi stated patronizingly, "This here is Luca. He was a part of the last Warden Test, and although you Wardens didn't accept him, I thought he stood out, especially in battle." He ruffled Luca's hair again, much to the other boy's discomfort. "Adorable, isn't he?"

"As adorable as a worm can get." Leon snarled, and Luca flinched, "You always did have a fondness for pathetically-weak, groveling underlings that dog your every step." He looked at the silver-eyes boy in disgust. "I don't remember weaklings, but I won't show you any mercy. I'll bring you down with you leader."

Luca squeaked, whimpering pitifully as he looked down into the arena. Mikasi rubbed the terrified boy's back gently as he glared at Leon.

"There's no need to be nasty, Leon." he said seriously, "Luca scares easily, but he has a lot of potential. I won't have you upsetting him."

"You're a fine one to talk about not upsetting people." Leon barked back as he raised his hand, "I've had enough! I don't care what you're trying to do; you're coming with me!" The two pterosaurs launched themselves into the air again and prepared to dive at the two males.

"No, I don't think so." Mikasi replied, as if answering a casual question. As he reached for his Dino Gear, Luca caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Mikasi!" he called, ducking behind the blond as Hellcat member lunged forward from her place hidden among the rioting crowd. Mikasi narrowed his eyes at the woman, annoyed at the sudden intrusion.

"Seems you're playing dirty, too, eh, Leon?" Mikasi growled, pushing his companion forward, "Deal with her, Luca."

"M-Me?!" Luca stuttered, looking fearfully at the angry woman.

"Yes, you." Mikasi affirmed in an annoyed tone before smiling, "Show these guys what they missed in the Warden Test."

Luca was quaking, staring wide-eyed at the furious form of the third Red Fang member.

"You're not going anywhere, shorty!" Hellcat yelled, taking out a Dino Gear. Luca glared briefly as he held his own Dino Gear in a shaking hand.

"I-I'm not short!" he barked at the woman as he threw his Dino Gear high into the air. As the flash of light signaled the release of his vivosaur, high above the heads of the humans below, Hellcat laughed patronizingly.

"Are you serious?! You can't even throw your Dino Gear right!" she cackled, grinning sadistically, "Let's show this little boy how it's done, Beckles." She then threw her own Dino Gear directly at Luca, the bright light signaling the release of the large carnivore. Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

"What are you doing, Hellcat?!" Leon screamed at the hasty woman, "You can't release a vivosaur here!"

Luca watched the Air-type about to land on top of some nearby audience members, his silver eyes suddenly cold and harsh. He shook his head at his thoughtless opponent before commanding in a loud voice.

"Ptera EU. Diving Smash."

From the sky, where the meeker fighter had thrown his Dino Gear, the purple pterosaur dove. His red eyes narrowed at the offending Air-type, and he shrieked angrily before slamming into him, pushing him away from the humans. With his powerful back claws, the Neutral-type Ptera variant threw the larger vivosaur into the arena, where he landed with a loud crash. Ptera EU landed on the edge of the stands in front of his fighter, spreading his wings proudly as he taunted his opponent.

"Please." Luca said, his hard, icy tone nothing like the nervous stutter he'd had not a minute earlier, "This is not a place to carelessly release a vivosaur. Be more aware of your surroundings."

"Mikasi!" Leon roared, Ptera and Thalasso baring their claws, "Your lackey can't protect you from all of us! Give it up already!"

"I think not." Mikasi said with a sinister chuckle, "It's true that little Luca has a ways to go, but he's not your only enemy here." He then took a remote out of his pocket and typed something into it. "You see, Leon, the time of the Wardens is over. You don't have the trust of the citizens anymore." Mikasi spread his arms as every nearby person who had been rioting without focus suddenly turned toward the Warden with the pterosaurs. "Everyone in this Stadium is your enemy!"

As soon as Mikasi said those words, the citizens surged forward, yelling vicious insults at the Warden. Hellcat was pushed from the stands, and Beckles rushed to catch his fighter on his back. Luca climbed onto Ptera EU's back and held out his hand to Mikasi to pull him up. The Neutral-type then joined the other two pterosaurs in the sky, circling low around the furious carnivore. Ptera and Thalasso flew higher, where they met with the other group in the air.

"What's goin' on, Leon?" Sean called, "Did the fans attack you, too?!"

"Not on their own." Leon growled, looking down at the purple pterosaur, "I don't know how, but they were made to attack me. They're all being controlled."

"C-Controlled?!" Dahlia cried fearfully, her eyes wide with terror.

"By who?!" Violet asked urgently.

At that question, Leon snarled resentfully and looked down at his enemy again. "Mikasi Acerbi."

"Mikasi Acerbi?" several Wardens repeated, sounding confused.

"Wait!" Nate cried, startling everyone in the group, "You mean that guy who was really mean to you when he came here on a tour?!" At Leon's nod, Nate looked in the same direction as his fellow Warden.

"Y-You mean…" Roland stuttered as he followed the gazes of the other two, "The guy who first made Tria lose control?"

"That's him." Leon replied, and everyone's heads snapped in the direction of the Neutral-type pterosaur. Dahlia almost fell off Sungari's back as she leaned over to examine the Warden's enemy.

"Which one is he?" she asked.

"The blond one." Leon answered.

"Who's the other guy?" Dahlia asked, narrowing her eyes at the black-haired individual sitting in front of Mikasi.

"Apparently, another failed Warden candidate." Leon replied with a disgusted snort.

"Luca!" Daisy cried in shock. At the confused looks she was getting, she elaborated, "Luca Palladino. He was in the last Warden Test."

"So this Mikasi fellow is working with one of the failed Warden candidates to bring down the Wardens?" Sean muttered, more to himself than the others.

"Not just one." Leon stated, catching the attention of the others, "I'd be willing to bet that guy with the bombs is also working for Mikasi."

"So Mikasi recruited the people who failed the last Warden Test?" Violet supplied, not sounding surprised at all.

"But weren't there four people who failed?" Dahlia asked curiously, "Think the other two are in on this, too?"

"I dunno about that there, pard." Daisy mumbled hesitantly, "Angel and Acacius din't do much with anyone 'sides themselves."

"I wouldn't dismiss the possibility, though." Leon said seriously, "Mikasi is an expert on working with difficult personalities and swaying them in his favor. I wouldn't be surprised if the other two are in on this as well."

"In any case, we need to remain vigilant." Sean stated seriously, "Notify the Captain of your findings, Leon. The rest of us will return to the Wardens for backup."

"Leon." Spike called to the Warden, "Where's Hellcat?"

"Down there." Leon replied, looking down at the arena again, "She's taking on that guy with Mikasi. Wanna help her?"

"Nah." Spike answered simply, shrugging, "Hellcat's strong. She won't be taken down by some lackey. Getting in her way would only cause more trouble."

"In that case, we need to get the rest of the Wardens." Sean said as the four pterosaurs made their way back toward the entrance to the waiting area, "We need everyone's help on this!"

"Yeah!" the rest of the Wardens yelled. They all then jolted when the Stadium shook with the weight of a new vivosaur. The airborne group looked down to see Beckles tangling with another Air-type carnivore: T-rex Stan.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Leon yelled in resentful exasperation, "You're tellin' me that little wimp can control two vivosaurs at once?!"

"The blond dude?" Dahlia asked.

"No, the other guy." Leon muttered, "That guy who couldn't stop shaking can control two vivosaurs at once. Where'd he learn to do that?"

"Wait a minute!" Spike called to the punk Warden, "Is it possible to control two vivosaurs at once?!"

"It's possible to control three vivosaurs at once." Sean answered, arms crossed as he watched Luca warily, "But only Tria and Elric can do that. Some of the Wardens have learned how to control two vivosaurs, but even we aren't good at it."

"So a kid who failed the Warden Test can do something the Wardens can't?" Sasuke asked, raising an exasperated eyebrow, "How exactly did that happen?"

"That's what I wanna know." Leon grumbled as he saw Ptera EU land to let Mikasi slide onto the scarred battlefield before taking off again.

"Stan." Luca spoke loudly to his second vivosaur, "Deadly Fangs! Hold that Beckles down!" T-rex Stan charged forward and bit down on Beckles' back, pushing the smaller Air-type to the ground.

"Get out of there, Beckles!" Hellcat yelled, "Tail Strike!" Beckles growled and spun around, shaking off the larger carnivore. Stan narrowed his eyes and snarled.

"My thoughts exactly." Luca mumbled to himself, "Let's finish this. Spiral Cannon!"

Stan roared back, gathering the wind energy in his jaws. However, before he could release his attack, he was slammed to the ground by a force at his side.

"The hell?!" Hellcat gasped, green eyes wide, "Jiango?!"

"Me smash!" the loud voice of Rocky announced from the spined vivosaur's back.

"Rocky! What are you doing here?!" Hellcat yelled at the Green Wave member.

"Me helping!" Rocky yelled back, jumping down next to the woman, "T-rex Stan strong vivosaur! You not win alone!"

"I was doing fine!" Hellcat claimed with a glare.

"You not learn!" Rocky barked back, matching his rival's glare, "You repeat same mistake! You not remember what happen last time we not work together!"

Hellcat made to retort, but her breath caught in her throat when she caught a glimpse of Tria, still slumped on the ground. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, grinding her teeth before sighing and opening her eyes in a determined glare.

"All right." she said, looking at Rocky, "All right, you can help me. But don't get in my way!"

"Me not get in way!" Rocky replied as the two battlers faced the looming T-rex Stan, "Me help!"

"You think you can defeat Stan?" Luca asked from Ptera EU's back, "Let's see you try!"

During this fight, Leon landed in front of the group in the center of the arena. He ran up to the fallen dinaurian and kneeled in front of her.

"How is she?" he asked, not caring who answered as he stroked the gray muzzle.

"Not good." Lancelot replied, also kneeling as he held her neck, "She seems to be in a lot of pain, and she hasn't moved since the riot started."

"Damn it…" Leon growled, clenching his teeth as he leaned his forehead against Tria's muzzle. He felt his shirt flutter as Tria sighed and focused her eyes on the Warden in front of her. Her golden eyes then flitted upward as the massive Fire-type Crimson Ravager stood next to the Warden.

" _Nibbles…_ " the tired rumbled escaped the dinaurian's jaws, " _I'm sorry, buddy. I didn't mean to hurt you._ "

" _Don't apologize, Tria!_ " Nibbles and Leon both barked at the same time. After a shared glance between the two males, Nibbles continued, " _You're the one who's hurting. We tried to help you, but we only made things worse. That's our fault!_ "

"We've also opened you up for attack." Leon snarled, intense in his self-loathing, "You have nothing to apologize for!"

" _It's not your fault._ " Tria replied, shaking her head as she blinked tiredly, " _Your good intentions should've been enough, but I wasn't willing to accept them. I was made worse by my own negativity and unwillingness to accept help. You cannot be faulted for that._ "

" _That isn't true, Alpha!_ " another voice roared, Kowloon placing a hand on the dinaurian's neck as he leapt down next to her. Zinodious stood guard over the group. " _Your loss of control wasn't your fault! You were driven to it by dark energy machines!_ "

"Dark energy machines?!" the group exclaimed all at once. Tria just sighed.

"There are dark energy machines?!" Captain Stryker sounded like his was choking when he approached with Elric and Professor Little, "Where?!"

"They surround the top of the Stadium." Kowloon answered, standing to look down at the Warden Captain, "They've been releasing dark energy ever since the final battle started. There are also devices lining the edge of the arena, though they have not been used."

"That would explain the audience's unusual agitation." Little muttered with a shudder, "It hadn't made sense prior."

"We need to do something about those devices." Elric said seriously as he placed the light-energy device on Tria's head, "Tria can't take much more of this negativity."

"It won't be enough, though." Little whimpered, noticeably keeping his distance from the dinaurian, "The negativity growth in the audience has already begun. It won't be so easy to stop now."

"But we have to do something!" Leon yelled at the child scientist, who flinched.

"I couldn't agree more!" Stryker said in agreement when he spotted a group of Wardens running toward them, "Great timing, Drake. We've got trouble."

"T-Trouble?!" Drake stuttered, sounding terrified.

"We know there's trouble!" Mei Lian barked aggressively, her resentful glare finding the human vivosaur she still considered her enemy.

"What kind of trouble, Captain?" Penny asked, gripping Mei Lian's arm in an attempt to restrain the hot-tempered girl.

"There are dark energy devices surrounding the Stadium and arena." Stryker informed the group, "We need to take those out!"

"Is horrible!" Olga cried, bringing one hand to her mouth while the other tightly held onto Xavier's arm, "We must make with the destroying of evil machines!"

"Did you know about these machines, Xavier?" Frett growled angrily, tightening his own grip on the boy's other arm and making him cry out in pain.

"That doesn't matter now!" Stryker said, facing the group, "We know they're here, so we must focus on getting rid of them!" He then looked at Kowloon, who was bristling at the hostile group. "Kowloon. Please show us where these devices are. We'll get rid of them faster if we work together."

Kowloon glared at the authoritative human who was trying to order him around. He then looked down at his alpha.

" _Go on, Kowloon._ " Tria growled to him, " _You need to work with the Wardens now. Show them what you've found._ "

" _Yes, Alpha._ " Kowloon growled back in affirmation before approaching the Wardens, "Zinodious and I will lead you to the machines' locations. Some are around the arena, so land-bound vivosaurs should take care of those. Vivosaurs that can fly or jump lightly can take out the devices at the top of the Stadium."

"Mei Lian and I can take the top of the Stadium." Penny spoke up, more comfortable around the former BR lieutenant, "Hypsi and V-raptor are fast and light."

"I can go, too." Leon added, "Ptera can fly, and so can Coatlus, when he gets back."

"We'll go, too." the American leader stated as he and the Wardens and fighters escaping the riot descended to join the group surrounding Tria, "Nychus can help you there."

"So can Hopter!"

"And Hypsi US!"

"Fine." Kowloon growled, resisting the urge to back away from the rapidly-growing group, "Those taking the machines at the top, follow me. The rest of you, follow Zinodious. He'll show you where they are."

"You heard the man!" Stryker yelled when he saw the Wardens' hesitation, "Destroy the dark energy machines! This is a direct order!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Wardens with the more agile vivosaurs released them and followed Kowloon, the humans jolting when the half-human jumped into the stands without vivosaur assistance and raced ahead of them. Drake released his Ankylo BO, Olga her Gorgostroika, Frett his Cerato TZ, Dahlia her Pachy, Nate his Edapho, Roland his Tricera, and Violet her Paraloph, and the group followed Zinodious to the edges of the arena. Frett and Olga dragged Xavier with them. Or, at least, they tried to.

"Mikasi!" Xavier called to his teammates, "Luca! Help me!"

"I think Xavier's calling for help." Mikasi smirked from his place against the wall of the arena, "Wanna help him out, Luca?"

"S-Sure…" Luca stuttered, his nervousness returning as the Red Fang and Green Wave members were pushed back by Stan. Ptera EU circled overhead, avoiding the Middle Spear from Leon's Ptera and grabbing Xavier from his bonds. The Neutral-type set Xavier down beside Mikasi before returning to his previous opponents.

"You're not gettin' off that easy, Xavier!" Frett called, chasing after his former friend with rage in his eyes. Cerato TZ followed his fighter, gnashing his teeth.

"I swear, Mikasi! I didn't tell them anythin'!" Xavier begged, falling to his knees next to the blond, "I said nothin'!"

"I know, Xavier." Mikasi said, not looking at the other boy, "The dark energy devices were discovered by one of my uncle's former lieutenants. I assume Tria caught you?" At Xavier's nod, Mikasi chuckled. "Seems I didn't give her enough credit." He then glanced at the wild Battler and carnivorous Air-type charging toward them. "This is your chance to redeem yourself, Xavier. Take out that obnoxious fighter."

"R-Right!" Xavier stuttered as he stood to face his former comrade. He took out one of his Dino Gears, stolen back from the European leader during his brief captivity, and threw the corrupted Gear at Cerato TZ. The dark flash unleashed the darkened duckbill onto the field.

"Lophus DR." Xavier called out to his dark vivosaur, "Take out those two! Now!"

The corrupted Lophus MN stood before the carnivore, glaring viciously. She had a dark green body with a golden beak, crest, and stomach. Golden stripes lined the herbivore's back and neck, and her storm-gray eyes sparked violently. She whistled sharply and dashed forward, fast for her kind, to slam into Cerato TZ.

"Stand strong, Cerato TZ!" Frett yelled to his partner, "Rising Upper!" Cerato TZ narrowed his own red eyes and swept his head around to drive his horn into the herbivore's chest, throwing her into an upward stance.

"Face Slapper!" Xavier called to Lophus DR. She laughed maniacally and swung her forearm toward Cerato TZ's head. Her laughter was then cut off as a pair of Fire-type jaws closed around the offending limb and held fast.

"This is a dark vivosaur, kiddo." an older voice spoke up from next to the young fighter, "You can't take it on alone."

"A-Aggro?!" Frett gasped, amber eyes wide and awed.

"We're joining you for this battle." the red-haired Battler announced, leaving no room for argument, "Now, T-rex Sue! Toss that thing!"

T-rex Sue roared, volcanic body blazing as she threw her opponent back to her frightened fighter. Xavier looked toward Mikasi pleadingly.

"Don't look at me, Xavier." Mikasi said, unsympathetic, "You have a dark vivosaur. Use it!"

"R-Right…" Xavier muttered as his terrified brown eyes returned to his opponents. The large carnivores and wild Battlers unnerved him. They always had.

"Don't look so smug over there, kid!" Aggro's voice boomed across the arena, "Once we take care of your lackeys, we're coming after you!"

"Oh, really?" Mikasi asked, chuckling again, "Somehow, I doubt that. You see, I have the high ground here." He then pulled out the remote he'd used to command the audience to attack Leon.

"Wh-What are you doing, Mikasi?!" Luca cried, dread entering his voice. Rocky and Hellcat, having just caught the Dino Gears of their recently-defeated vivosaurs, stared in disbelief as the powerful Air-type turned on the blond and growled dangerously.

"Don't worry, Luca." Mikasi said, smirking at his opponents, "You just focus on the Wardens out here. Leave the ones down there to me."

"What are you planning, Mikasi?" Stryker called out to the blond.

"I'm sure you sent some of your Wardens to take care of the bombs Xavier placed under the stands." Mikasi said to the shocked Captain, "But surely you didn't think those were the only ones we had, did you?"

"No…" Stryker growled, his eyes darkening with horror.

"Prescott!" Frett screamed when he picked up the implication. Cerato TZ charged at Mikasi with rushed desperation, but he was stopped by Lophus DR.

"Mikasi, wait!" Luca yelled from the back of his Ptera EU, "Acacius is still in there!"

"So's Angel!" Xavier cried, "You have to get them out!"

"Really?" Mikasi asked, momentarily considerate as he looked apologetically at his two remaining followers, "That's too bad."

He pressed the button.


	64. Come The Deadliest Hate

The low light under the stands made the group uneasy enough, that unease made worse by the loud clashes and violent shakes of the ground as the battle in the arena intensified. The youngest Warden flinched with every collision felt, his natural composure the only thing keeping him from dropping the delicate devices he was collecting. The older Warden wasn't as easily shaken, but she did keep glancing toward the arena nervously as the violence they felt escalated. The ancient leader with them kept a calm, sure air about him, expertly hiding how unsettled the battle outside was making him feel. As the pile in the open waiting area grew, the collected explosives out of the way, Liu Ren tensed.

"This is bad." he stated, looking up at the stands above them as they began to tremble.

"What's going on up there?" Becky asked, sounding equally concerned and annoyed.

"Can't say I know, old sport." Prescott muttered, his blue-green eyes sparkling in the darkness.

"Hanzo!" Liu Ren called to the ninja who was darting around the hidden area, "Do you know what's going on?"

"The audience is rioting!" Hanzo answered from the shadows, "They are being driven into chaotic anger by an unknown force!"

"Did something happen to Tria?" Becky asked.

"From what I gather, she has collapsed!" Hanzo announced, speaking over the shocked gasps of the people below him, "The battle had ended with an immense collision between Tria and Nibbles, and the riot began immediately afterward!"

"Damn it!" Becky swore in a rare display of frustration, "I knew we should've stopped this tournament!"

"Now's not the time to think about that!" Liu Ren said to the woman before turning back to Hanzo, "Are there any more bombs under here?!"

"Everywhere!" Hanzo declared to the shock of his Warden comrades, "Not just in this area! There are enough bombs to bring down the entire Stadium!"

Becky bared her teeth and swore even more violently. Prescott's eyes were wide with terror. Liu Ren clenched his fists and turned back to the Wardens under him.

"We don't have much time! We have to get these explosives out of here as quickly as possible!" the Asian leader called. The other Wardens followed with their affirmatives, but before they could even move, another voice spoke up from the darkness.

"There's no need to rush off, now." a female voice said, a sinister chuckle running through the words. The click of heels resounded in the large space as the silver-clad figure of Angel Spiros strode forward. Her silver-blue eyes glittered in amusement as she watched the group that had rejected her. "This Stadium is positively littered with those things. It's pointless, trying to get rid of all of them."

"Angel?!" Prescott cried, sounding shocked and betrayed, "You're involved in this heinous plot as well?!"

"Are you another failed Warden candidate?!" Becky asked, standing tall next to her European junior. Angel's eyes sharpened at the woman.

"You'd be wise to watch your tongue around me, insolent wench." Angel snarled, her eyes glinting dangerously at the other woman.

"So you're working with Xavier, then?" Liu Ren supplied, stepping forward to placing a hand on the fuming Becky's shoulder, "In that case, we're going to have some questions for you, once this is settled. For now, though, we must ask you to stay out of our way."

"Don't lump me together with that loser." Angel growled resentfully, "And don't act as if you can order me around! I'm going to make you regret not letting me in when you had the chance!"

"We don't have time for this!" Liu Ren said though clenched teeth as he watched Angel reach for a Dino Gear, "We have to-"

The man's words and the girl's actions were both cut off as the silver-clad intruder was shoved onto the orange crest of the small ceratopsian that had been secretly hidden in the cramped space beneath the stands. The newest Warden followed his vivosaur partner into the larger waiting area, calling over his shoulder as he did so.

"I'll keep her preoccupied! The rest of you focus on clearing the explosives!"

"Prescott!" Becky yelled after him.

"Let him go, Becky." Liu Ren said, the restraining hand still on her shoulder, "He's right. We have to clear these bombs." At the woman's worried look, he added, "Don't worry. Prescott's a Warden, and his potential was recognized by Tria herself. He'll be fine."

Becky still looked worried for her junior, but nodded anyway and followed the Asian leader with a final glance over her shoulder.

In the waiting area, Angel jumped back from Proto, stumbling as she glared at her fellow candidate.

"Why are you doing this, Angel?" he asked, his voice pitiful, "Why would you want to hurt innocent people?"

"Didn't you hear me, you little fool?" Angel snarled in response, "That damn Warden Test was the most humiliating experience of my life, and I will make them pay for it!"

"It's not the Wardens' fault that you failed the Test!" Prescott argued, "If you couldn't make it in, it means you weren't strong enough!"

"That's easy for you to say!" Angel snapped back, "You got in!" The girl then smirked knowingly. "But something tells me you didn't exactly get in by fair means, did you?"

"What do you mean by that statement?" Prescott asked, confused and insulted.

"Don't play dumb, Prescott!" Angel scoffed, her glare sharpening, "We all saw how close you are to that dinosaur girl, that 'Commander' you speak so highly of. You're close to her, you and that unbearably crass fighter you're paired with!"

"Our friendship with Tria had nothing to do with us getting into the Wardens!" Prescott yelled indignantly, "We passed the Test fairly and without issue!" The proper boy then became more furious as the second insult registered. "And Frett is NOT crass! Loud and inelegant, perhaps, but never crass!"

"You're serious?!" Angel cried, her own eyes offended, "Don't tell me you actually like that idiot?!"

"I DO like him!" Prescott barked back, standing tall against his enemy, "Frett may not think things through, and he can be wild and tactless, but he is my partner, and my best friend! I will not have you speaking so poorly of him!" He held out his arm, and Proto pawed at the ground. "That's enough talking! You didn't get into the Wardens for a reason; we shall show you the difference between us!"

"Suit yourself." Angel growled, disgusted, as she held out her corrupted Dino Gear, "And to think, I used to actually like you." She tossed the darkened vivosaurs in the air with a snarl. "Let's get rid of these pests, Spinodious."

The dark flash consumed the area, forcing Proto to grab his fighter and jump back. The corrupted Spino had a black body with silver stripes on his neck and sail, as well as silver claws. His crimson eyes narrowed into a vicious glare as he faced his opponents.

"You even have a dark vivosaur…" Prescott said, his voice sorrowful and pained, "You truly have lost yourself, Angel."

"Oh, save it, Prescott." Angel snorted dismissively, "Don't speak as if you know me!"

Spinodious roared and charged toward the Warden and his vivosaur. Proto stood protectively in front of his fighter and whistled at the dark carnivore in warning.

"We will not stand for this, Proto!" Prescott yelled as he wiped his eyes, "Dome Dash!"

"Let's shut these brats up for good, Spinodious!" Angel barked, "Poison Fang!"

Spinodious opened his long jaws, baring his darkening fangs at the approaching ceratopsian. As he lunged toward the Earth-type, Prescott's voice rang out again.

"Now, Proto! Spin Drop!" he ordered. Proto's green eyes gleamed and he leapt up, narrowly missing the toxic jaws of his opponent. He landed, still spinning, on the back of the carnivore's neck, driving the larger vivosaur into the ground.

"You really think that'll be enough to stop me?!" Angel screamed, indignant, "Now! Toxic Zone!"

Spinodious growled at the small herbivore as the hateful mist spread around his body. Proto rolled away and jumped in front of his fighter again.

"This is not good, old sport." Prescott muttered to his partner, "We can't let this scuffle drag out for too long. We have to finish this, now!"

"Like hell you are!" Angel shrieked, "You're not going anywhere!" She turned back to her poison-cloaked vivosaur, "Finish him, Spinodious! Death Drill EX!"

Proto stood protectively in front of his fighter once more, bracing himself for the attack. Prescott whimpered.

"You have lost yourself, Angel. The dark energy has consumed you."

"Shut up, Prescott!" Angel screeched as Spinodious launched himself forward, "You don't know me! You never knew me!"

"But I did." another voice entered the battlefield. Another ceratopsian, larger with elegant orange patterns on his body and an ornately-decorated blade on his nose, placed himself between Proto and the spinning Spinodious.

"Fire Assault, Sinocera." the voice ordered. The Fire-type ceratopsian bellowed viciously and charged to meet his dark opponent, coating himself with fire to match the dark energy surrounding the carnivore. They collided with incredible force, pushing briefly for dominance before jumping back.

"Acacius?!" Prescott cried, shocked by the appearance of the other Spiros sibling.

"What are you doing, brother?" Angel snarled, "I thought you were supposed to be watching that loser that clings to you all the time."

"Luca is not as weak as you think he is, sister." Acacius growled back, meeting his twin's glare unflinchingly. He then looked back at the Warden and his vivosaur. "Get going, Prescott. You need to help clear those bombs before Mikasi sets them off."

"Acacius…" Prescott muttered, untrusting.

"I know what you're thinking, Prescott." Acacius said, "But I really am on your side. My sister has been led to believe that the Wardens rigged the tournament against us, but I know better. We lost, fair and square, and that was no fault of the Wardens. To blame them because we weren't strong enough is pointless." He looked down into the other boy's blue-green eyes and spoke earnestly. "Go. Help the other Wardens. I'll hold off my sister for as long as I can."

Prescott looked from Acacius to his vivosaur. Sinocera was clearly untouched by the dark energy that plagued Spinodious. He then looked back up at the male twin and saw that the harshness in Angel's eyes was absent from his. Prescott nodded.

"Will do, old sport." he said as he turned around. When Proto returned to him, he spoke over his shoulder to his rescuer, "Thank you, Acacius. And good luck!"

Acacius gave the Warden a thumbs-up, his face as guarded as always. He then squared his shoulders and stood taller as he faced his twin sister once more.

"You're making a big mistake, brother." Angel informed Acacius, her voice holding a dangerous tone.

"It is you who has made a big mistake, sister." Acacius informed Angel, "You've let the dark energy consume you. Prescott was right, Angel. You have lost yourself, and, as your older brother, it is my responsibility to bring you back!"

"Shut up, Acacius!" Angel screamed as Spinodious roared viciously, "You're the one who's lost himself! You let that loser soften you, and now you've lost your pride as a Spiros!"

"Luca is not a loser!" Acacius roared back, Sinocera stomping the ground aggressively, "He's stronger than you or I ever were! He saved me from the darkness that's claimed you, he's the reason I haven't lost sight of who I am! I haven't lost my pride because of him; it's because of him that I still have it!"

"How disgusting." Angel snarled, "To think that two men I once admired could've fallen so low…"

"We haven't fallen, sister." Acacius said solemnly, "You have."

"Enough!" Angel barked, "Spinodious! Poison Fang!"

"Jaw Slicer, Sinocera!" Acacius called in retaliation.

Spinodious charged forward, toxic jaws agape once again. Sinocera met him halfway, bladed horn slicing through the air. Poisoned jaws clamped down on the metal horn, straining against the strength of the large herbivore. Sinocera's golden eyes watched the poison on his opponent's teeth warily, and the herbivore threw the larger vivosaur back when the manifested hatred began to drip onto him.

"Just wait until Mikasi gets a hold of you." Angel growled, "You'll pay for your treachery then."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Acacius replied, unconcerned, "It may come as a shock to you, sis, but Mikasi won't protect you. He doesn't care about any of us; he only cares about getting what he wants. He couldn't care less how he gets it or who he has to sacrifice."

"As long as our goals are the same, Mikasi will help us." Angel argued, crossing her arms, "Mikasi doesn't tolerate those who stand against him, like the Wardens, but he looks after those who are on his side. After all, he let you stick around, and that pitiful runt you're so fond of."

Acacius chuckled, startling his sister. As another collision between Spinodious and Sinocera shook the ground, Angel's glare intensified.

"And just what is so funny, brother?"

"You are, sis." Acacius laughed, throwing his head back as he howled in amusement. He then calmed down and lowered his head, hair falling in front of his eyes as he smirked at his sister. "That will probably be both you and Mikasi's fateful error, Angel. Underestimating Luca will be the biggest mistake the two of you will ever make. He'll be the one to take you down."

"Oh, please." Angle growled in annoyance.

Acacius was still chuckling when the entire waiting area began to tremble. Loud explosions could be heard throughout the waiting area, emanating from beneath the stands. As they realized what was happening, both twins' eyes widened in panic.

"He didn't…"

"That bastard! He set off the bombs!"

"Acacius! Where are you going?!"

Acacius turned back to face his sister, Sinocera right next to him. "What does it look like?! I have to help Prescott and the others! They're still in there!"

"Are you mad, brother?!" Angel screamed, "The Stadium's collapsing! You'll be killed!"

"Let me tell you something, little sister." Acacius said seriously, "I'd rather die fighting for what's right than live in the shadow of the wrong we have done."

With that, he ran into the area beneath the stands, his sister losing sight of him as he disappeared amongst the collapsing rubble.


	65. All Against One

Dust rose from the Asian Stadium. The Wardens and their allies all watched in horror as the famous center of entertainment for the Park's residents and visitors caved in and crumbled to the ground. The blasts of the explosions and the rumble of the collapse were followed by an eerie silence that weighed heavily on the people who still remained.

The group led by Kowloon, who had been destroying the dark energy machines at the top of the Stadium, were lowered to the ground by the pterosaurs. Drake's group, who had been destroying the dark energy machines at ground level, stood back from the rubble that covered their targets. The group watching over Tria stood in shock, though Tria herself didn't even open her eyes. Even Mikasi's followers were staring at him in horror, unable to believe what their leader had done.

"Well…" Mikasi said, smirking at the stunned Wardens, "You don't have worry about the bombs anymore. You're welcome."

"Damn you, Mikasi…" Leon growled, a trembling hand on Tria's head. He was then interrupted by several other voices, each one holding a vengeful ferocity that pierced the tense atmosphere.

"You bastard!" Sean roared as he faced the blond boy.

"How dare you hurt my brother?!" Sasuke yelled, red eyes glowing.

"You'll pay for this!" Frett cried, his naturally-loud voice shaking with rage and grief.

Nychus, F-raptor, and Cerato TZ all charged at Mikasi, teeth and claws bared. With Lophus DR restrained by T-rex Sue, the path to the boy was cleared. Or so it seemed, as the boy smirked.

"Haven't you learned anything from this tournament?" Mikasi asked smugly, reaching into his pocket. His smirk turned into a sadistic grin as he tossed the Dino Gear, a deep, all-consuming blackness oozing from the vivosaur's dormant form. The black flash blanketed the destroyed arena, sending chills down everyone's spines as a tormented roar shook the air.

"This kind of reckless abandon will only get you killed." he chuckled ominously as his corrupted carnivore took his battle stance in front of him, "Show them, T-rex Saul."

The corrupted T-rex had a dark purple body with a silver stomach and black claws. He had black flames on his back and head, and his blood-red eyes burned with hatred and rage.

"Put these idiots back in their place." Mikasi ordered, his hazel eyes glinting, "Royal Crush."

Saul rumbled with lethal pleasure as his teeth flashed. He strode forward heavily to meet his three opponents, the three carnivores not fazing him. With two movements, he slammed his massive head into F-raptor and Cerato TZ, sending them both back into their dormant forms. Then, turning to the vivosaur partner of the American leader, he closed his jaws on the small raptor, a flash of light signaling his defeat. The Dino Gears returned to their shocked fighters as Mikasi chuckled.

"What did I tell you?" he said to the speechless crowd, "Recklessness won't help you here. Then again, neither will careful planning. Against power like this, you're finished no matter what."

"Sean's Nychus, Frett's Cerato TZ, and Sasuke's F-raptor…" Captain Stryker whispered in horror.

"Three high-level vivosaurs, defeated with a single attack…" Professor Little whimpered, hiding behind the Captain.

"What have you done, Mikasi?" Leon growled, "I know you're an ass, but I never thought you'd be capable of this…"

"Neither did I…" Luca mumbled as his silver eyes lingered on the section of the stands where Acacius had gone. He then did a double-take as his grief-stricken mind registered something else.

"How could you, Mikasi?!" Xavier cried, tears in his eyes, "Angel was still in there! Acacius too! You killed them!"

"I never told them to go under the stands." Mikasi replied, shrugging, "That was their choice. They knew the risks of going in there, but they did it anyway."

"You killed our fellow Wardens! Our family!" Sean yelled as tears streamed from his eyes.

"And countless civilians!" Penny cried, remembering her father in the stands. From next to the distressed blond, with a hand stroking under the dinaurian's jaw, Elric suddenly jolted.

"Not so?" he asked, looking up to observe the rubble, "You're right!"

"Who's right?" Mei Lian snapped, voice sharp and hostile.

"What's going on, Elric?" Lancelot asked the silver-haired boy.

"No bodies!" Elric said, to the shock of the Wardens around him, "There isn't a single body in the stands, dead or alive! The entire audience is gone!"

The Wardens all looked around the destroyed Stadium. Sure enough, despite the extensive damage, not a single body lay amongst the rubble. There wasn't even anyone struggling to get out; everyone not in the arena had simply disappeared. Even Mikasi was looking around with an annoyed look on his face.

"Wh-Where is everybody?" Drake stuttered fearfully.

The group all jolted when a loud laugh filled the air. It held none of its usual joy, but it still projected the power and confidence its source was always known for.

"Gya ha ha! You didn't think we'd just sit around and accept our fate, did you? You can't still these muscles!"

"Dino Gigante!" Sean cried as his fellow masked fighter strode up to him confidently.

"This tournament has taken a turn for the worse." Dino said, his hand gripping his rival's shoulder firmly, "We must band together to get through it."

"Thank you, old friend." Sean said, reaching back to grip the hand on his shoulder in return.

"You need not worry about the citizens of the Fossil Parks." another voice spoke up from the direction Dino Gigante had come from, "We led them all out of the Stadium before it collapsed. They're all safe."

"Sapphire?!" Dahlia exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise.

"How did you get the rioting fans to listen to you?" Violet asked.

"I think I can explain that." the voice of Dr. Digmore spoke up, followed by a gasp as the nervous man stumbled over the rubble. His arm was caught by his young companion, the small boy hanging on just long enough for the doctor the reach flat ground before letting go and making a bee-line for the group in the center.

"Tria!" Lucky cried, tears flowing freely from his eyes. He slid to a stop next to his idol and threw his arms around the dinaurian's head. "Leon! What's happened to her?!"

"What are you doing here, Lucky?!" Leon yelled back, glaring at the boy, "The Captain told you to stay out of this!"

"I can't just leave you guys like this!" Lucky argued, glaring back at Leon, "Tria's hurt, the Stadium's been destroyed, and you're all in trouble! I can't turn my back on all of you; I'm a future Warden!"

"You still shouldn't have come." Leon said, his tone scolding, but his face had softened, and he ruffled Lucky's rusty-red hair as the boy gave him a tearful smile, "It's dangerous here."

"Indeed it is." Elric agreed, standing up next to Leon, "That thing has already defeated the vivosaurs of three of our best fighters, and it's only used one move so far."

Lucky looked up at the Captain's emissary, his face confused. After a few blinks, the young boy spoke up again.

"Hey, Elric." he called to the older male, "What are those lights in your pockets?"

"Lights?" Elric asked, looking down at the boy.

"What lights?" Leon asked, tilting his head to look up at Elric as well.

"There are lights in your pockets." Lucky repeated, pointing to the various pockets in Elric's pants and jacket, "There are three in your right pocket, all gold, and two more in your jacket pocket. There are two in your left pocket, too, silver ones."

"Really?" Leon asked, Lancelot and Professor Little both looking at the psychic boy as well. Elric blinked at Lucky for a few seconds before reaching into his left pocket.

"Five gold and two silver?" he asked the boy, and at the nod he received, he chuckled, "That's very impressive, Lucky. I knew your psychic power let you see rare fossils, but I didn't know you could see these kinds of fossils. Especially after they've already been integrated."

"Integrated?" Little repeated, intrigued by the word.

"What's going on, Elric?" Stryker asked as he approached the group.

"Captain." Elric addressed his superior, "Get your Wardens' vivosaurs away from T-rex Saul. I don't want them to get caught in the crossfire here."

"What are you planning, Elric?" Lancelot asked before any of the Wardens could comment.

"I'm sending out my strongest team, the one I brought from my home time."

" _Your home time?_ " Nibbles growled from above the boy, " _And…?_ "

"Yes." Elric replied without looking up, "And Tria's home time. This is one of the few teams even she struggles against. Hopefully they'll stand more of a chance against T-rex Saul."

"You're taking it on alone?!" Stryker exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"Not really." Elric replied, "I need you to have the remaining Wardens standing ready, just in case."

"What's going on?!" Lucky cried, confused, "Leon?!"

"Hell if I know…" Leon muttered.

" _Lucky..._ " I growled emanated from under Leon's hand. Both males looked down at the tired dinaurian, who was now looking up at them.

"Is something wrong, Tria?" Lucky asked, hugging the large head close to him.

"She said your name." Leon told his young companion, "She's trying to talk to you. Here…" Leon took off his ear-piece and held it next to Lucky's head, leaning close as well. "What is it, Tria?"

" _There used to be other ways to enhance vivosaurs._ " Tria continued, Lucky jolting as he heard the translated words from the earpiece, " _There used to be a special group of fossils that could be used to power up vivosaurs. One kind, called the Wondrous Fossil, was silver, the other, the Miraculous Fossil, was gold. They were integrated into revived vivosaurs, resulting in a change in color and, in some cases, more powerful forms known as Super Evolvers. Kaishin, the sea serpent who'd helped me out of the Neo Black Whale, is a Super Evolver formed when a gold fossil is used on an Elasmo. Those lights you're seeing on Elric are likely coming from those special fossils. The seven vivosaurs he's carrying are all powered up with these fossils._ "

"Woah…" Lucky whispered, eyes wide with awe, "I can see…special fossils?"

"I've never heard of fossils like that." Leon muttered.

"I suspect they were depleted." Professor Little stated confidently, "Fossil like that had to be in limited supply, so if they were being used over a thousand years ago, it would only make sense that there aren't any left."

" _Elric's strongest team consists of five Super Evolvers._ "

"FIVE?!" the humans and vivosaur all screamed.

" _Yes._ " Tria growled back, " _That's how teams in my time worked. We had three active, two in reserve, and we swapped the vivosaurs around for each battle. Elric has five high-powered vivosaurs that make up his full team, all Super Evolvers, and two others that have been powered up with Wondrous fossils. Taking them out will be a challenge for anyone, even dark vivosaurs like Lophus DR and T-rex Saul._ "

The loud, commanding tone of the Captain called the reluctant Wardens and their vivosaurs back from the four vivosaurs standing against them. Even Aggro's T-rex Sue retreated when she caught the look on the face of the silver-haired human striding toward the dark vivosaurs resolutely.

"You're the guy that came here from the past with the dinosaur girl." Mikasi said as Elric faced him, "You must be pretty confident, facing us alone like this."

"Confident's not the right word." Elric replied, taking three Dino Gears out of his pocket, "Determined sounds much better."

"Call it whatever you want." Mikasi said, shrugging, "It's still suicide. We'll see how that dinosaur girl handles losing her closest friend."

"I would never put Tria through such pain." Elric stated, his head held high, "I've always been here for her, and that won't change."

"Even though she left you?" Mikasi asked with a knowing smirk, "She's left you once already, and she's trying to do it again, isn't she? Are you sure you wanna keep protecting her like this, even at the cost of your own happiness?"

Elric eyed Mikasi's smug smile with an unreadable look on his face. Then, much to the other boy's shock, he started laughing.

"Cost of my happiness?" he asked rhetorically, "Tria is the source of my happiness. We've been together our entire lives; we're practically one being at this point. I've been looking after her for as long as I can remember; I can't imagine doing anything else." Elric looked at the other boy and smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Must be tiring, though." Mikasi growled, sounding disgusted, "Always worrying about her, without any care or acknowledgement in exchange."

"Tiring?" Elric repeated, pondering the word before nodding curtly, "Yes, I suppose it is. But you know…" Now it was his turn to smirk. "The things in life that are worth the most never come easy." He then arched an eyebrow, "And who said I don't get any care or acknowledgement?"

Without another word, Elric held out the three Dino Medals to T-rex Saul, smirking at the apprehensive growl he received. He then felt the ground shake and turned to glare at Lophus DR as she charged toward him.

"I don't mean to be rude, Lophus DR." he said to the mad herbivore, "But I don't have time to deal with you right now." He took out two more Dino Medals, the ones Lucky had identified as silver, and threw them at the dark Lophus MN. "Mapo, Raja. Hold it off while we deal with Saul."

Two bright flashes signaled the release of the enhanced vivosaurs, and everyone watching gasped.

Both vivosaurs had familiar names, but unfamiliar appearances. The Raja, although similar in build to his present counterpart, had a dark red body with bright red stripes around his neck and on his back, in addition to bright red claws and horns. The Mapo looked nothing like Elric's teammate from the present; he had a forward-facing horn on top of his head, with two others on his nose. His entire body was a reddish-pink color, and his eyes were black.

"What the-?!" Hellcat gasped, eyes wide.

"What kind of vivosaurs are those?!" Mei Lian exclaimed.

" _I wouldn't freak out yet._ " Tria growled, " _You haven't even seen the Super Evolvers yet._ "

Sure enough, taking advantage of T-rex Saul's hesitation, Elric threw the three Dino Medals in his other hand at the corrupted vivosaur, releasing the forms that stunned the humans around him into silence. Most of them, anyway.

"WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE?!" Nate screamed, hiding behind the trembling Roland.

"T-Tria…" Leon stuttered, shaking as Lucky edged closer to him, "A-Are…?"

" _Yes, Leon._ " Tria replied " _Those are Super Evolvers._ "

Tria pointed her tail toward the first vivosaur to be released. She had a long neck and whip-like tail, as well as long truck-like limbs that made her tower over everything around her. She had a white body with a light blue stripe traveling from the tip of her tail to the top of her head, where a golden horn protruded. She also had bright green eyes.

" _Equinas. The Water-type evolved form of Toba Titanosaur. Contrary to her previous form, Equinas is the fastest of any vivosaur._ "

Tria then pointed to the smallest vivosaur. He had a red body with bright red eyes and large fins sprouting from his back, legs, and tail. The fins had bright sky-blue webbing.

" _Lugmos. The Fire-type evolved form of Dimetro. He can charge energy to increase his attack power, which he uses to make up for his low defense._ "

Tria then pointed to the vivosaur in the center, which was the oddest thing many of the humans had ever seen. She was a light-green therapod with a long neck and longer tail. She had bright blue eyes, a small light blue frill at the base of her neck, and, on the sides of her head and hind legs, butterfly wings.

" _Teffla. The Air-type evolved form of a feathered carnivore called Aeros. She's the most agile of the group and can agitate opponents by scattering scales from the wings on her head and legs._ "

"You've got an interesting arsenal, Elric." Mikasi said with an amused smirk, "But I doubt even they will be enough to beat all of us."

"We shall see." Elric said, deceptively pleasant. His face then hardened as he commanded, "Lugmos! Lugmos Tail!"

The Fire-type Super Evolver waddled toward T-rex Saul, his red eyes glowing. Mikasi smirked.

"You don't really think that'll work, do you? Grab it, Saul!"

"Teffla Scales."

T-rex Saul moved forward with jaws agape, ready to swallow the Super Evolver whole, but a cloud of sparkling golden lights entered his vision and made him dizzy, causing him to plow into the ground to the left of his target. Lugmos, with his own target on the ground, turned around and swatted him with his tail, throwing the larger carnivore several yards away. The dark vivosaur landed on his stomach directly in front of the tall Water-type.

"Now." Elric commanded in a loud, certain tone, "Equinas Dos."

Equinas cried out in rage, the sound vaguely resembling a whinny. She charged at T-rex Saul, her figure a blur, and jabbed her horn into her opponent. T-rex Saul rolled over in front of his fighter.

"You might wanna be careful how much damage you do to Saul." Mikasi warned, his knowing smirk back in place. As the dark vivosaur staggered to his feet, Mikasi commanded in his own sure tone, "Dark Cannon."

Saul's red eyes flashed vengefully as the dark energy gathered in his jaws. From behind Elric, several Wardens gasped in horror.

"Elric! Look out!" Sean called to the Captain's emissary, "That attack wiped out a bunch of our vivosaurs!"

"It is stronger than two dark vivosaurs together!" Olga added fearfully.

"That thing's been pushed to its limit." Kowloon snarled, sounding pained as he huddled under Tria's wing.

"Get out of there, pard!" Daisy cried, fear dominating her features.

Elric didn't move. As T-rex Saul opened his jaws to fire, he gave his next orders.

"Teffla Soar. Lugmos Sphere. Equinas Punish."

Teffla leapt into the air, the wings on her legs keeping her out of the attack's range. As the Dark Cannon fired at the two remaining Super Evolvers, Lugmos unleashed an orb of fire from his own jaws, while Equinas released waves of Water-type energy from her horn. The energies collided briefly before the dark energy overwhelmed them all and consumed the two vivosaurs.

"You didn't really think those pitiful attacks could stop T-rex Saul's Dark Cannon, did you?" Mikasi asked smugly.

"Of course not." Elric replied simply, surprising those in front of and behind him, "We just had to weaken it enough to make it bearable."

Two cries were heard from the fading darkness as Lugmos and Equinas emerged, injured but still standing. Teffla landed between her teammates, and the three called out their challenge to the dark vivosaur again.

"So those counterattacks were just to weaken the attack enough for the vivosaurs to hold out?" Daisy asked hesitantly.

"But that still doesn't make sense." Violet stated, her grip on her wand tightening.

"How?" Dahlia asked, confused, "It makes sense to me."

"B-Because…" Drake stuttered, "W-We…tried that. It…didn't work."

"We tried using long-range attacks to counter that damn attack." Mei Lian growled, her arms crossed and her countenance furious, "V-raptor and U-raptor's Raptor Shot, Hypsi's Soothing Song, Styraco's Energy Blast, Hopter's Wing Blaster, even the Raja Devil's Electroshocker. All blown away like they weren't even there. None of our vivosaurs stood a chance!"

"Are Elric's special vivosaurs really that much stronger than ours?" Dahlia asked, sounding awed.

"That might be." the voice of Dr. Digmore spoke up as he and Sapphire Bling approached the group, "But, as I'd said, there is another explanation. It is possible that the reason for the sturdiness of the enhanced vivosaurs of the past is related to the reason we were able to get the rioting crowd out of the Stadium when the Wardens couldn't."

"Another explanation?" Sean repeated skeptically.

"Please explain, Dr. Digmore." the Captain requested urgently.

"I'd be glad to, Captain!" Dr. Digmore replied, his smile proud, "After speaking with Tria and learning of her condition, I looked into the effects of negativity and dark energy, and I found something fascinating!" He flipped through his notebook to a page he'd clearly memorized. "Dark energy and the negative emotions that fuel it are harmful in their own right, but they become truly devastating when they are focused on something specific."

"Something specific?" Stryker repeated, his arms crossed.

"Correct." Dr. Digmore answered with a nod, "I hypothesize that we were able to get the rioting crowd to listen to us because the dark energy driving them was focused on Wardens, and we are not Wardens. Since we weren't the focus of their artificially-induced anger, we were able to reason with them and get them out of harm's way without them turning on us."

"With a few exceptions." Sapphire added, guilty and sorrowful. At the curious looks she received, she held up a hand. "But that had little to do with the dark energy." When she noticed eyes still on her, she sighed. "My sister wasn't too pleased with being ordered out. Neither were Mr. Moneybags and his three bodyguards."

"My father is stubborn." Penny sighed sadly, shaking her head. At Sapphire's gawking expression, she elaborated, "I'm the daughter of the head of the Moneybags family. I ran away to become a Warden, and now my father is trying to take me back."

"My parents weren't happy, either." Lucky whimpered, sounding distressed, "They don't want me near Tria. They still think she's a monster…"

"But you still got them out." Leon said, patting the boy's head, "Great going, Lucky."

"So the dark energy is focused specifically on the Wardens." Stryker muttered, "So the ones who stand the best chance of beating the dark vivosaurs are those not with the Wardens."

"Or in Tria's pack, I suspect." Professor Little added, glancing at Kowloon, who was glaring at him from Tria's side, "According to Leon's report, Tria is Mikasi's true target, which means that the dark energy is likely focused on anyone associated with her."

"Which includes the Wardens." Stryker mumbled to himself. When Tria visibly tensed, he reached out to place a hand on her trembling side. "Still, that doesn't mean we're being targeted because of you, Tria."

"I'm sure we're not." Leon agreed, running a hand over the smooth scales on Tria's nose, "Knowing Mikasi, he's holding a grudge against the Wardens for rejecting him. He's always had a disgusting sense of entitlement."

"But this still doesn't add up." Dahlia spoke up, her face scrunched in concentration, "Elric's still a Warden."

"Yeah!" Mei Lian exclaimed as she caught Dahlia's train of thought, "How are Elric's weird vivosaurs holding up against that crazy attack? If he's a Warden, shouldn't he be a target?"

"Elric might be in the focus of the dark energy, but the vivosaurs he's using aren't." Professor Little piped up from next to Nibbles, "No one even knew vivosaurs like those existed until a few minutes ago. It's very difficult to focus on something you've never heard of."

"That lets them withstand the dark energy longer than the Warden vivosaurs, but they won't last forever." Kowloon told the Wardens seriously. He was keeping his body pressed against his alpha's side, thought it was unclear for whose comfort.

"Kowloon's right." Captain Stryker agreed with the half-human, "We need to find a way to fight back!"

The humans were interrupted by a loud crash from the battleground. Lugmos and Equinas had both fallen to T-rex Saul's power, and Teffla was on her last legs. Raja and Mapo were having trouble with Lophus DR, the corrupted herbivore violent in her anger.

What was unusual was Xavier's lack of involvement in the battle. He hadn't moved since the Stadium had collapsed, frozen in shock at the callous way Mikasi had killed their own teammates. He didn't seem to notice when his vivosaur slammed her forelegs into Raja and Mapo's chests, sending them back to Elric as Dino Medals. The herbivore then turned to Teffla and charged toward her with hate-filled eyes.

"Teffla! Watch out!" Elric called to his last vivosaur. Teffla turned her blue eyes to her last opponent, but she didn't have the strength to avoid the rampaging herbivore.

"You put up an amusing fight, Elric." Mikasi said as T-rex Saul swayed his head threateningly, "But I'm afraid this is the end for you. Finish him, Saul."

T-rex Saul gnashed his teeth and ran forward, joining Lophus DR in a joint assault on the final Super Evolver. Elric clenched his teeth as he reached for another Dino Medal.

Suddenly, the entire Stadium shook. T-rex Saul and Lophus DR were both knocked off balance by the tremors, forcing them to stop their attack on Teffla. The humans clung to the nearby vivosaurs and dinaurian, and the rubble shifted.

"What the hell?!" Leon yelled, holding onto Lucky with one arm and Tria with the other.

"What's going on?!" Dahlia cried, clinging to Penny and Mei Lian as they all collapsed against Tria.

"E-E-Earthquake!" Nate screamed as he clung to Roland's back, Roland himself leaning against Nibbles.

" _It's an earthquake all right, but not a natural one._ " Tria growled, sounding oddly calm and unsurprised, " _The Wardens are tough. It'll take more than a little cave-in to finish them._ "

"What are you saying, Tria?!" Sasuke asked, eyes widening at the implications of her words.

"Tria! You can't mean…?!" Stryker gasped.

"What's happening?" Mikasi asked, sounding more irritated than frightened. He looked up at his airborne teammate. "Luca. What do you see from up there?"

"Y-You won't believe th-this…" Luca stuttered, his voice shaking even more badly than at the start of the riot, "Th-They're c-coming f-f-from…" He pointed to the area of the stands where Liu Ren's group had been.

As the humans all looked on in shock, that area of the rubble began to shake and fall away. Several eyes appeared in the shadows beneath the destroyed metal and concrete.

"One more time, old sport!" a familiar voice was heard from the rubble, "Tectonic Splash!"

At that command, the Stadium shook again. The rubble fell away, revealing a group of sauropods. Argento swayed his neck, smirking proudly. Amargo shook the dust out of the spikes on his neck, looking relieved. Brachio stood up straighter once the weight of the rubble slid off his back. Mihu darted around the sauropods' feet, slicing at lingering metal around them. And he wasn't alone; another ceratopsian with a bladed horn was helping him, this one a large Fire-type. The humans were taking shelter underneath another sauropod, a large Water-type, and they were being supported by a smaller Fire-type carnivore with a sail on his back. Proto was also with the humans, ramming any rubble that blocked their path to freedom.

"We arrive!" the ninja declared proudly.

"Apologies, everyone." the Asian leader greeted as he and the other Wardens stepped out from beneath the sauropods, "We appear to be late to the party."

"We had a bit of trouble in there." the American veteran added, brushing dust off her shoulders.

"But we're here now." the European graduate stated, a hand on his vivosaur's crest, "We'll strike back with a vengeance!"

"Sounds like fun. Count us in." the Red Fang second-in-command commented, his hands behind his head.

"I calculate that all hell is about to break loose." the Green Wave second-in-command reported from next to her childhood friend as she pushed up her glasses.

The Wardens all gawked at the approaching group, disbelief on their faces. Liu Ren's team was unfazed by the shock and simply stood before the Captain with practiced professionalism.

"I apologize, Captain." Liu Ren said, his face grave, "We failed to clear the explosives before they went off. We experienced a few delays, and the entire Stadium has been destroyed as a result. They fault lies with me, and-"

"The only one at fault here is Mikasi." Stryker cut off the Asian leader, "You all did your duty, and were put in serious danger because of it. You all have done more than anyone here expected." The Warden Captain smiled, his eyes slightly cloudy. "You did very well, Liu Ren. We're glad you're all safe."

"Thank you, Captain." Liu Ren said with a small smile.

"We still failed in our mission…" Prescott mumbled, still looking upset, "We-"

"PRESCOTT!" a loud cry cut him off, followed by a tackle that almost knocked the European Warden to the ground, "YOU'RE ALIVE! YOU'RE REALLY ALIVE!"

"Frett! Calm down, old sport!" Prescott admonished his partner even as he returned the spontaneous embrace.

"How?!" Frett cried, clinging to Prescott with no intention of letting go, "You're alive! I thought you were dead, but you're alive!"

"Yes, I'm alive." Prescott said, his voice calmer as he rubbed Frett's back, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Hmph. I never doubted you'd make it out!" Sasuke declared, punching his brother's arm.

"Of course not, Brother." Hanzo said, eyes narrowed knowingly, "We are master ninjas, after all."

"I'm sorry, Sean." Becky said as she approached her brother, "I didn't mean to worry you."

"Don't apologize, Becky." Sean replied, embracing his sister, "I'm just glad you're still here, safe and sound."

"We wouldn't be." Becky admitted as she returned her brother's embrace, "If we didn't have help."

"So that's where you'd run off to, Spike." Hellcat said, glaring at her teammate, "You should've told us."

"Didn't have time." Spike replied simply, shrugging. He then flinched as a strong hand slapped his shoulder.

"Way to go, Spike!" Aggro praised his underling, "You've got the spirit of a warrior!"

"You did very well helping the Wardens, Gauss." Lancelot told his second-in-command, "But you still should've told someone."

"You almost die!" Rocky agreed, sounding panicked.

"If we had alerted anyone to our plan, we would've been stopped." Gauss replied, unrepentant. She then adjusted her glasses again and added, "We weren't alone, though. We had help, too."

"That's right." Liu Ren spoke up, "We had another unexpected ally."

"U-Unexpected?" Drake stuttered nervously.

"Who?" Sean asked urgently.

The Wardens and their allies all turned back to the rubble pile to see another person making his way out into the open. The Fire-type ceratopsian stood close to his fighter, his golden eyes wary and guarded.

"Prescott…" Frett whispered to his partner, "Is that…?"

"Yes it is, old sport." Prescott confirmed, placing a hand on Frett's arm, "That's-"

"Acacius!" Luca called, Ptera Eu landing near the copper-haired male. The smaller boy ran up to his friend, stopping just before he crashed into him. "You made it out!"

"Of course I did." Acacius replied, wrapping an arm around Luca, "It'll take more than a few explosions to bring me down."

"That was more than a few explosions, Ace." Luca reminded, looking up at Acacius reproachfully.

"I did have help from the Wardens and Fossil Battlers." Acacius admitted, his other hand scratching the back of his head.

"Acacius!" Xavier called, running up to his teammates, "Where's Angel?! She was still in there, too!"

"Last I saw, she was still in the waiting area." Acacius replied, "She didn't follow me under the stands." At the look of horror and despair on Xavier's face, Acacius huffed. "I wouldn't worry, Xavier. My sister is the most stubborn person I know. I'm sure she found a way out."

"Acacius Spiros?!" Daisy cried, more surprised than anything.

"So Mikasi did manage to get the Spiros twins on his side as well…" Captain Stryker muttered, the information unsettling him.

"We're not so sure about that, Captain." Becky interjected. At the curious looks she received, she continued, "Acacius saved us. We wouldn't have made it to Titano if his Sinocera hadn't cleared the way for us."

"We know Angel is with Mikasi." Liu Ren explained, "She'd tried to stop us from gathering the bombs. Prescott stalled her for a time."

"That's right." Prescott agreed, "But the battle wasn't going well for me. I thought I was finished, but Acacius intervened."

"Acacius turned on his sister?" Frett asked suspiciously.

"I am finding this hard to be believing." Olga added, "Angel and Acacius are close like tiger cubs."

"Well, it would seem these tigers have turned their claws against one another." Stryker stated, looking over at the tall boy with an arched eyebrow, "Though he seems to be on good terms with the other failed candidates."

"Maybe they don't know he's betrayed them." Mei Lian spoke up from next to her leader.

"If that's the case, we'd better get him before they find out." Violet said seriously, "If he's been with them this whole time, he probably has information we need."

"And if Mikasi finds out about the betrayal," Leon growled with certainty, "He won't let the guy escape."

"I'm glad to see you made it out, Acacius." Mikasi greeted the taller male with a pleasant smile, "I'm sorry your sister wasn't so lucky."

"Like I told Xavier," Acacius replied, his guarded countenance becoming harsher, "I wouldn't discount Angel just yet. She's far too stubborn to die in a place like this."

"I certainly hope you're right, Acacius." Mikasi said, still smiling. He turned back to face the reunited group of Wardens. "What do you say we finish this? Even with the return of the rest of their group, the Wardens are on their last legs. Taking them out should be no problem now."

"Shouldn't we look for Angel first?" Xavier asked urgently.

"If Angel has survived the cave-in, she'll find her way to us." Mikasi replied unsympathetically, "We need to strike now, before the Wardens have a chance to regroup."

Xavier stared at Mikasi with dark, unreadable eyes. Luca and Acacius exchanged looks and resolute nods.

The Wardens faced T-rex Saul and Lophus DR, their resolve strengthened by the return of their comrades. Aggro's T-rex Sue stood proudly alongside Spike's Dimetro, and Lancelot sent out another vivosaur he had in reserve: the Neutral-type Penta, who stood beside Gauss' Lophus. Those vivosaurs joined Hanzo's Mihu, Liu Ren's Tarbo, Becky's Big Allo, and Prescott's Proto as they faced the dark vivosaurs.

"Your comrades have fallen before us." Mikasi stated, "You will meet the same fate. The time of the Wardens is over!"

"We'll see about that!" Captain Stryker yelled back, "The Wardens are strong! We face every problem as one, and we'll overcome this problem the same way: together!"

"You're talking big, Captain." Mikasi sneered, "For someone who isn't even fighting." He turned back to his vivosaur. "Let's go, Saul. Royal Crush."

T-rex Saul roared and charged forward. He slammed into Tarbo and T-rex Sue, sending them staggering back, before his jaws found Dimetro and drove him back to his fighter as well. Penta and Proto attempted to intercept, but they were both caught by Lophus DR's Face Slapper, which sent them both swaying with confusion. The dark herbivore then jumped back to avoid Big Allo's Tail Strike. She whistled threateningly to the carnivore and slammed into him, pushing back relentlessly. At a flash of metal in the corner of her eye, Lophus DR moved to swat at Mihu, sending both Neutral-types crashing into their confused allies.

"I'll give you credit for persistence, Captain." Mikasi said as T-rex Saul stalked up to the leader of the Wardens, who was left unguarded by Lophus DR's rampage, "But this ends now."

"You really think killing me will bring down the Wardens?" Stryker asked, staring up at the dark carnivore with grim resolve.

"Naturally." Mikasi said simply, "With you out of the way, the Wardens will fall into chaos, and when that happens, they will be drawn into and consumed by the dark energy, like moths to an open flame." He smirked at the older man, recognizing the fear lurking in the depths of the dark blue eyes of the Warden Captain. "Farewell, Stryker."

T-rex Saul opened his jaws and readied his Dark Cannon. The Wardens, with their vivosaurs defeated or incapacitated, could only watch in horror as Captain Stryker stared into the darkness that would bring his death.

Suddenly, T-rex Saul screamed, the dark energy he'd been storing shooting into the rubble of the Asian Stadium as the dark carnivore lost control of his body. He thrashed his head in pain, bellowing in agony, much to the surprise of the humans.

"What's going on, T-rex Saul?!" Mikasi yelled at his vivosaur, "Finish that Warden already!"

T-rex Saul didn't seem to hear him, his thrashing becoming more violent. It was then that Mikasi and Stryker noticed something slithering around the corrupted vivosaur. The swift creature had a long neck and blue body covered with white spots. His large yellow eyes were wide and vigilant. He pushed himself around the torn battlefield with surprising speed using his four flippers.

"A plesiosaur?!" Mikasi exclaimed in shock.

"That's one of the plesiosaurs that saved Tria when she almost drowned!" Dahlia called out, the other Wardens gasping as they also recognized the small Water-type.

"How did it get here?" Leon asked, craning his neck to see the aquatic vivosaur, "And why is it protecting the Captain?"

"One more time, Plesio." another voice spoke up, its calm ferocity nothing like the façade it'd held throughout the tournament, "Plesio Poison."

Plesio hissed at his dark opponent and darted forward again. He snapped his jaws at the carnivore's feet, another dose of poison entering Saul's body. Saul screamed again, lunging blindly at the source of the pain, only to be met with ground as the swift vivosaur evaded the counterattack. And this time, the humans' attention wasn't focused on the plesiosaur; they were focused on the fighter commanding him.

"Luca." Mikasi growled dangerously, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Stopping you." Luca replied simply, standing his ground as Ptera EU hovered over him, "You've taken this whole thing way too far, Mikasi. It's time to give it a rest."

"Luca." Mikasi repeated, his voice lowering ominously, "Have you forgotten how the Wardens so callously rejected you after you'd worked so hard to get in?"

"I failed the Warden Test." Luca replied seriously, "That wasn't the Wardens' fault. You have to be strong to be a Warden. I wasn't strong enough, so I didn't get in."

"So that's it, then?" Mikasi asked as he and T-rex Saul turned on Luca, "You've changed your mind about getting revenge on the Wardens, and instead choose to turn your back on the ones who actually accepted you and gave you a home."

"Changed my mind?" Luca replied, unfazed, as T-rex Stan stood next to him and Plesio pushed his head under his fighter's hand, "I never held a grudge against the Wardens, and I never approved of your use of dark energy." The boy shook his head. "No, Mikasi, I haven't changed my mind. I was never on your side in the first place." His silver eyes flashed as he stood up straighter, his nervous façade gone for good. "And one more thing I must correct. I have a place where I belong that I can call home, but it wasn't you who gave it to me. It is that place I am trying to protect."

"Very well." Mikasi said, his voice becoming monotonous, "If that's how you really feel, then I have no choice. I'll just have to kill you, too." He held his arm out to his vivosaur. "Now, T-rex Saul. Dark Cannon."

"Spiral Cannon, Stan!" Luca ordered, "Ptera EU, Ultrasonic Blast! Plesio, Poisonous Assault!"

T-rex Stan placed himself in front in front of his fighter, the swirling winds released from his jaws catching the dark energy opposing him. Ptera EU flew around Saul's head, his piercing shriek stunning the massive carnivore. Plesio slithered around Saul's feet, releasing potent venom as he did so.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Leon exclaimed, almost sounding appalled, "That kid can control three vivosaurs at once?!"

"I thought only Tria and Elric could do that." Spike said, confused.

"So did I." Elric said, a hand on Tria's foreleg, "Makes me wonder where Luca learned that particular skill."

"I always knew you were an impressive fighter, Luca. Such a waste of talent." Mikasi sighed, shaking his head, "Royal Crush, Saul."

T-rex Saul roared, shaking off the previous attacks. He swung his head at Ptera EU and Plesio, both smaller vivosaurs dodging. Unfazed, he charged at his uncorrupted counterpart, jaws open and teeth bared, where he was met with another force.

"Jaw Slicer, Sinocera." another voice commanded. The Fire-type ceratopsian slashed at Saul's gaping jaws, sending the carnivore staggering backward again.

"You too, Acacius?" Mikasi asked, not sounding nearly as surprised. He then smirked. "Oh, I see. Luca's following you in this betrayal. That makes much more sense; you always were looking down on the rest of us."

"You've got it wrong again, Mikasi." Acacius replied, shaking his head as he pulled two more vivosaurs out of his pocket, "Luca's not following me. I'm following him." It was Acacius' turn to smirk at the shock that flashed across Mikasi's face. "I told this to my sister, and now I'll tell it to you. Underestimating Luca may be the biggest mistake you'll make." He then threw the two items in his hand, one Gear and one Medal, toward the battling vivosaurs, releasing the rest of his team.

"Ptera JP, Alpha Sonic! Futabi, Winding Snap!"

The Fire-type Ptera variant, red with blue eyes, shrieked with power and defiance. The familiar plesiosaur, orange with bronze horns, bit down on Saul's leg, dragging him to the ground.

"Acacius, too?!" Daisy cried in shock.

"Two failed Warden candidates can control three vivosaur at once, when the Wardens themselves can barely control two." Sasuke mumbled, exasperated.

"Not just that, old sport." Prescott stated, catching the other Wardens' attention, "That's the plesiosaur that carried Tria to shore. If those plesiosaurs saved Tria…"

"That means Luca and Acacius have been helping us long before now." Liu Ren supplied when Prescott trailed off, "Things are getting more complicated, it seems."

"B-But…" Drake stuttered, shaking and hesitant, "H-How did they know…wh-where…?"

"Tria was?" Dahlia finished for her leader.

"And where we were." Violet added, tapping her wand against her forehead.

"Things aren't adding up." Little piped up hesitantly, "They have too much information regarding our movements. They couldn't possibly have known where Tria was, and where we were, even if the rest of the group was near the Neo Black Whale at the time it sank."

"Unless…" Elric muttered with a suspicious glance at the closed eyes of the dinaurian.

"You've chosen your side, Luca, Acacius." Mikasi growled, hazel eyes hardening, "You'll pay for your betrayal!" The blond raised his head and commanded, "Now, Saul! Increase your power and destroy these traitors!"

T-rex Saul howled wildly, crimson eyes glowing with bloodlust. Suddenly, from beneath the rubble of the collapsed Stadium, dark energy rose, immediately being drawn into T-rex Saul's body. The deep blackness consumed the vivosaur, causing him to howl again.

"I-Impossible…" Stryker gasped.

"Inconceivable!" Little cried in disbelief, "Those dark energy devices still function, even after having the Stadium collapse on top of them?!"

"This is bad…" Luca growled, "Stan! Spiral Cannon! Ptera EU! Spiral Burst! Plesio! Poisonous Assault!"

"We have to stop this now!" Acacius yelled, "Sinocera! Fire Assault! Ptera JP! Delta Sonic! Futabi! Steer of the Storm!"

"Tail Storm."

The six vivosaurs closed in on their target, their strongest attacks ready. T-rex Saul watched them with a profoundly unimpressed gaze and, right as their attacks were about the land, spun around, the dark energy surrounding his tail driving them all back.

"You can't beat me." Mikasi told them, shaking his head, "Without the power of the dark energy, you are all helpless against me." He then turned to look at the boy who'd been his companion ever since the group had formed. "Acacius doesn't surprise me, but your betrayal cuts deep, Luca. After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me."

"I never hated you, Mikasi." Luca replied, "I am grateful for your efforts to be my friend. But you're messing with dark energy; who knows what you'll do under its influence. You already proved willing to kill Acacius and Angel without hesitation."

"Necessary sacrifices are a part of war. But no matter." Mikasi said, "You won't have to worry about that much longer. This is the end for you!" He lifted his head to his vivosaur again. "Finish him, T-rex Saul."

T-rex Saul opened his jaws and lunged at the boy. Distressed cries from multiple humans and vivosaurs filled the air, and Luca closed his eyes to await the end. Then, in the midst of the chaos, a swift movement sliced across the scarred battlefield, reaching Luca before anyone realized what had happened.

Dust rose from the ground as T-rex Saul crashed. He raised his head, dirt dripping from his jaws, and looked around in a frustrated manner. His blood-red eyes then narrowed at the figure silhouetted in the dust cloud, his teeth bared at the appearance of the new enemy who wasn't new at all. Golden eyes stared back unflinchingly, and, from her back, silver eyes were wide.

"Thank you, Commander." Luca gasped, gripping the dinaurian's mane as she stood up taller.

" _Anytime, Luca._ " Tria replied, her breathing slightly labored. She snarled openly at the dark vivosaur before her, wings spreading instinctively. " _We need to get you and Acacius to the Wardens. You'll be safer there._ "

"Right." Luca replied, looking over to his recovering vivosaurs as the dust settled, "Ptera EU! Ultrasonic Blast!"

As the Neutral-type pterosaur's attack stunned T-rex Saul again, Tria darted over to where Acacius stood. As the taller boy was pulled onto the dinaurian's back, Xavier spoke up hesitantly.

"A-Acacius…L-L-Luca…Y-You're with th-the W-W-Wardens?"

"No." Acacius answered simply, though he gripped Luca's waist when Tria shifted, "We failed the Warden Test, just like you did."

"Then why?!" Xavier cried, "Why did you b-betray us?!"

"Because this is wrong, Xavier." Luca replied seriously, "It's not the Wardens' fault we failed. That fault lies with us. And I think you realize that. Somewhere deep down, you know this isn't the way to go." At the growl from Tria that made both Xavier and Acacius jump, Luca spoke again. "But that is for you to decide. We have to move, so we'll see you around. Just be careful, kay?" Tria then darted back to the group of Wardens, leaving a stunned Xavier in her wake.

"Tria!" several Wardens cried when she returned.

"Are you strong enough to be moving, Tria?" Penny asked, her eyes shining with concern.

"How long have you been able to move?" Roland gasped in awe.

" _I move when I need to._ " Tria replied, crouching down to let her passengers dismount.

"Luca. Acacius." Captain Stryker addressed the two boys as he approached them, "Forgive us for our caution, but Mikasi has caused a lot of trouble already, so we are hesitant to trust anyone associated with him."

"We understand." Luca replied as he and Acacius dismounted, "We aren't asking you to trust us. We're only over here because we were told to be."

"It's safer." Acacius muttered, "We're clearly not on Mikasi's side…"

"What do you mean you were 'told' to be here?" Liu Ren asked, watching the boys warily.

"I thought so." Elric said, glaring into Tria's eyes, "That's who all those mysterious phone calls were from. You two were Tria's spies."

"Spies?!" Dahlia screamed.

"You two were spying for Tria?!" Sean yelled in disbelief.

"Is that why you know how to ride on Tria's back?!" Mei Lian cried. At the shocked confusion around her, she stomped over to Luca and grabbed his collar. "It took me hours before I could handle her movements, yet you could do it easily!"

"That's right. I've ridden on Tria's back before." Luca replied easily, "Sometimes she'd keep moving throughout our meetings, to make us harder to track."

"I'd been wondering about that." Acacius muttered, sounding annoyed.

"That's enough!" Stryker snapped at the curious Wardens, "We don't have time for this." He turned back to the boys standing before him. "I'm still not quite sure where your loyalties lie, but Tria's an excellent judge of character, and she was willing to use what little strength she has left to save you, so I will accept your presence here with us, at least for now."

"You're too kind, Captain Stryker." Luca said with a blank expression. Acacius just snorted.

" _I'm glad. I would have to keep carrying them around if you didn't._ " Tria growled, eyeing the Warden Captain with a judgmental gaze. Her eyes then returned to her spies. " _Luca, Acacius. Do you know how many dark energy machines are left in the Stadium?_ "

"There were ten devices lining the arena." Luca answered easily, Acacius watching him with an impressed look, "They are power reserves. The dark vivosaurs use them to increase their power and heal themselves. There were thirty smaller devices at the top of the Stadium that were used to drive the audience to riot, but they were destroyed when the Stadium collapsed. The ten around the arena were designed to be more durable."

"That would explain why we haven't been able to defeat T-rex Saul." Professor Little said, crossing his arms and gripping his sleeves.

" _Which means we need to destroy those, and fast._ " Tria said, tone oddly dull, " _Luca. Please share your translator with Acacius._ "

"Roger." Luca said simply. He took the device out of his ear and gestured for his taller companion to lean closer.

" _Acacius._ " Tria addressed the copper-haired male, making him flinch, " _Direct the remaining Warden vivosaurs to the dark energy devices around the Stadium._ "

"Whatever you say, Tria." Acacius replied in affirmation, recovering from his surprise and approaching the Warden leader. When Luca had returned the translator to his ear, Tria spoke again.

" _Luca. Can you take control of Acacius' team?_ "

"It won't be easy, with my team still out, but I can try." Luca answered, looking up at the dinaurian.

" _That's all I ask._ " Tria sighed tiredly, " _I need you to keep Saul and Lophus DR occupied while their reserves are being taken out._ "

"Don't tell me you can control SIX vivosaurs at once?!" Leon exclaimed, eyes wider than ever.

"Not really, no." Luca replied simply, "I can switch focus between two teams, but even that's shaky at best." The silver-eyed boy smirked at the shock on the puck Warden's face. "Not bad for a worm, I'd say."

Luca walked away from the blushing Warden to focus on the two teams swarming the dark vivosaurs. Tria sighed as she slumped back to the ground, her energy spent. She then opened her eyes again and lifted her head to look up at her two closest companions.

" _Nibbles. Go help destroy the dark energy devices. You have more resistance to it than any other vivosaur._ "

" _Tria…_ " Nibbles whimpered, looking terribly conflicted.

" _Go with him, Elric._ " Tria continued without regarding Nibbles' protest, " _Your guidance will be vital for this._ "

"Are you sure this is wise, Tria?" Elric asked, feeling the same reservations Nibbles had, "Shouldn't we stay with you while you're still weak?"

" _As comforting as your presence is, you are needed elsewhere._ " Tria replied, her tone earnest despite the phrasing, " _You need to cut off the dark energy lifeline, or we'll all be run into the ground._ "

Elric and Nibbles looked at each other, their faces pained.

"Just go!" Mei Lian snapped at the indecisive males, "The sooner you get rid of those things, the sooner Tria will be safe!"

"Don't worry." Sean added confidently, "We'll look after Tria. Just hurry up so she can recover!"

Elric and Nibbles looked at the irritated kung-fu master and American leader, then at all the Wardens surrounding the dinaurian, then at each other and nodded resolutely.

"Fine. We'll get rid of those devices." Elric said, glaring at Tria when he added, "Don't let her do anything stupid."

"Don't worry! We won't!" Penny assured her friends, her fingers combing through Tria's mane.

"Does Tria often do stupid things?" Sapphire whispered hesitantly.

"I think the proper term is 'reckless'." Liu Ren whispered back, smiling with fond exasperation, "Tria doesn't have much regard for her own safety. At least, not when others around her are in trouble. She's a protector; it's what she does."

"So I've heard." Sapphire said, sad and subdued.

Tria just sighed again, exhausted after rescuing Luca and Acacius. She then perked up again and lifted her head, startling the humans around her.

" _Seems someone else is ready to join the party._ " she growled enigmatically, " _Watch out for the rubble pile._ "

Luca tilted his head to look back at Tria curiously, then turned his focus to the area the dinaurian had indicated, and his eyes went wide.

"Ace team! Get back! Away from the rubble!" he ordered loudly. Sinocera, Ptera JP, and Futabi all jumped back from the dark herbivore they'd been battling, taking their battle stances a safe distance away.

Before anyone else could react, the collapsed waiting area seemed to erupt. A massive Neutral-type sauropod broke through, rising onto his hind legs as he bellowed furiously. From beneath him, a large carnivore stood up, holding a silver-clad woman in his claws.

"Bastard!" Angel screeched, her voice carrying over the entire Stadium, "Mikasi! I'll kill you for this!"

"You're kidding?!" Becky cried, "She survived the cave-in, too?!"

"I'm not surprised." Acacius stated, "My sister is a stubborn one."

"Angel! You're alive!" Xavier cried, tears of joy in his eyes, "I was so worried!"

"Shut up, worm!" Angel snapped at the boy, startling him, "You're the last person I need to see now! Move!" Xavier hastily dove to the side as Spinodious rushed forward, his charge aimed at Mikasi.

"I'm glad you made it out, Angel." Mikasi greeted the furious girl, voice just as pleasant as usual, "But I'm very busy right now. Do you think we can talk about your revenge some other time?"

"Like hell, Mikasi!" Angel shrieked, "You brought the Stadium down on me and my brother! You'll pay for that!"

"I'm sorry you're angry, but I really don't have time to deal with you right now." Mikasi said to Angel, pulling out a familiar corrupted Dino Gear and tossing it at the dark Spino, "Giganto. Keep her busy, would you?"

The black flash released the darkened Fire-type, who gnashed his teeth angrily. His red eyes glared at the boy ordering him around, but a growl from T-rex Saul made him turn away and face his designated target.

"A dark Giganto?!" Nate screamed.

"It can't be…" Professor Little whimpered, clinging to the shocked Captain.

"Mikasi, you bastard…" Leon growled, voice low with horror, "How the hell did you get a hold of Dr. Blackraven's dark Giganto?!"

As Angel, who'd been thrown to the ground by the collision, struggled to her feet, her glare turned to the Wardens and hardened.

"So you did make it out." she snarled, turning toward her next target, "Don't think I've forgotten about you, Prescott!" She then looked back at her other vivosaur. "Crush him, Titano AR! Crush that stupid Warden!"

The Neutral-type Titano variant bellowed again, his light gray eyes filled with hatred. He then picked up a piece of concrete and swung his head back.

"No!" Fret screamed as he stood in front of Prescott with his arms open, "I won't let you hurt Prescott!"

"What are you doing, Frett?!" Prescott cried as he grabbed his partner's shoulders in an attempt to move him, "You can't stop concrete, and your vivosaurs can't fight anymore!"

"I lost you once." Frett cried back, tears in his eyes as he stood firm, "I'm not gonna lose you again!"

Titano AR hurled the slab of concrete at the group of Wardens, aiming for the two boys. But it never reached them. A massive orange sauropod appeared on the battlefield, swatting the projectile away with his head. The Earth-type roared at the other sauropod, shaking his crested head as he lumbered forward.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Angel screeched at the offending fighter, "How dare you interfere with me?!"

"Don't do this, Angel." Xavier pleaded, his voice incredibly sad, "This ain't you. This ain't the Angel I met in the Warden Test. You changed when you joined Mikasi, and I can tell you now, it ain't for the better."

"Shut up!" Angel snapped, finally giving Xavier her full attention, "Who are you to tell me who I am?! You don't know me!"

"I know the girl I fell in love with." Xavier replied, making even Angel pause, "I know the beauty I saw in you the moment I met you." He shook his head, dark eyes pained. "I don't see that beauty anymore. All I see now is darkness."

"Be silent!" Angel screamed, Titano AR lumbering forward to stand beside her, "You know nothing! None of you know anything about me! You think you can make me feel bad about who I am, but you're wasting your breath! This is who I am, and I like it! I don't care what you or anyone else thinks!"

"You're in pain, Angel." Xavier replied sadly, "But you're right. We can't tell you who you are or who you should be." He then stood taller, confident for the first time since the Warden Test. "But I can tell you this: you won't hurt the Wardens anymore! We're stopping you here!"

"You think you can stop me?" Angel sneered, her Titano AR chuckling with her, "Please. You're the most pathetic fighter I've ever seen!"

"I'll bet." Xavier replied easily, "You've been surrounded by awesome fighters all your life. Too bad you couldn't learn anything useful from them." Ignoring the gawking expression of his opponent, Xavier faced his two vivosaurs. "Well, guys? Whadya say we start anew? We can try out this whole Warden thing again."

Brachio TZ rumbled in agreement, a relieved smile on his face. Lophus DR, whose storm-gray eyes were still flashing with dark energy, whistled happily and nuzzled her fighter. Xavier smiled at them both before turning back to face his opponent properly.

"Xavier…" Frett whispered, confused and conflicted.

"Seems he may not be such a bad fellow after all." Prescott observed, rubbing Frett's shoulders supportively, "Eh, old sport?"

Frett looked at his partner, then at his former friend from the Warden Test, then gripped Prescott's hands tightly.

Mikasi had a pinched look on his face as he watched all of his allies turn against him. He stood alone against the cursed dinaurian and the organization that protected her. The dark energy he got from his late uncle, combined with the negativity that had been permeating the Parks, gave him an advantage over his enemies. He would finish this now, before the Wardens could get back to their feet.

"T-rex Saul!" he called loudly to his dark partner, "We're not playing around anymore! Get rid of those traitorous teams."

T-rex Saul roared, the gleam in his red eyes brightening. He spun around again, his Tail Storm knocking out Luca's exhausted team. He then charged forward, his Royal Crush finishing off the team Acacius had sent to face him. After a quick glance at the battle between Spinodious and Giganto, then to where Titano AR was taking on Lophus DR and Brachio TZ, he looked back at his fighter.

"The remaining Wardens and their allies are destroying your dark energy reservoirs. Finish them before you lose the power to stop them!"

T-rex Saul roared again, infuriated, and unleashed Dark Cannon in the direction of one of the dark energy storage machines. Cryo and Ajka jumped back, as much startled as frightened. He then fired another one at Styraco and Dr. Digmore's Oloro, making them react similarly. Then he turned his bloody gaze to the real threat.

"Nibbles! Look out!" Elric yelled from Nibbles' back.

The Crimson Ravager turned his wide green eyes to the blast of dark energy making its way toward him. He fired a blast of his Crimson Flames in retaliation, and the powerful attacks collided with intense force. Through the smoke, another Dark Cannon shot toward Nibbles and Elric, forcing the duo to dodge. T-rex Saul fired repeated shots at the two, getting more frustrated as he went. Then, with a dangerous smirk on his face, he fired a Dark Cannon toward the ground at Nibbles' feet, forcing him into the air. There, he was cornered.

"It's over." Mikasi said with a dark chuckle. T-rex Saul growled in agreement and fired one last Dark Cannon at the two suspended in the air.

It seemed to happen in slow motion, yet no one could do anything to stop it. T-rex Saul's Dark Cannon flew toward Nibbles and Elric, the pair helpless in the air. From the ground, where the Wardens and their allies were clustered, movement was sighted, the lean figure making its way toward the human and vivosaur that the dark energy had targeted. The figure leapt up in front of them, wing spread to their full extent, and took the powerful dark attack directly to her chest. Tria Seishin collapsed to the ground, her two closest companions landing unharmed behind her, and her body finally darkened completely as what light she had left was extinguished.


	66. Courage Is Not To Die

The dinaurian girl walked through the forest of her inner world with a resolute step. The ground was an ashy gray, her feet still not leaving footprints. The ancient trees towered over her, as barren as ever, but their bark was now a deep black, dead skeletons against the blood-red sky. Black fog weaved its way through the trees, and, from that fog, the large creature emerged. Black scales, purple wings, eyes as red as the sky above her, she looked down at her tiny opponent.

" ** _Well well, Tria. It would seem our roles have reversed now._** " the dinaurian's other half growled sadistically, " ** _How does it feel to be the helpless one, trapped and left to be forgotten?_** "

" _I don't know, Dart._ " Tria replied, unshaken, " _Even if I'm trapped here, I will never be forgotten. I have left my mark on the outside world, and that won't change, no matter what you do._ "

" ** _You're awfully complacent._** " Dart snarled, glaring at Tria suspiciously.

" _I thought the same thing about you in the Legend's Cup._ " Tria replied, tilting her head to look up at Dart, " _Now I know why._ "

" ** _Yes, you do._** " Dart growled smugly as she extended her wings, " ** _Now make yourself comfortable, because you're gonna be here for the rest of our life!_** " The dark dinaurian then took off, flying into the bloody sky as her light counterpart watched her.

" _Maybe._ " Tria replied, blinking calmly, " _We'll see._ "

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"TRIA!" countless human and vivosaur voices screamed as the dinaurian fell. Gleaming white scales became black as night, their shine absent. She crashed to the ground and lay still as her opponent smirked.

"Well, that makes things easier." Mikasi said, tone disturbingly casual, "If I had known bringing her down would be this easy, I would have targeted you two from the start."

" _Tria…?_ " Nibbles whimpered, nudging the motionless body with his nose. Elric jumped down and ran to her head, kneeling beside her and stroking a hand over her muzzle. Tears fell from his eyes as he clenched his fists and stood up again, facing his enemy with cold, sharp eyes.

"You've done it now, Mikasi." Elric said, his voice like ice as he pulled out another Dino Medal, "This time, you will die." He then threw the Medal in his hand, the object glowing golden in the eyes of the young psychic boy nearby. "Go, Mapo King. Destroy him."

The dark blue Water-type, the evolved form of the ancient Mapo, landed heavily on the scarred battlefield. His body shape was similar to Nibbles', with two horns on his nose and bright pink eyes had with extensive battle experience. He roared in anger, one glance behind him increasing his rage tenfold, and charged at the corrupted T-rex with teeth and claws bared.

"So you still had a weapon up your sleeve, eh, Elric?" Mikasi sneered, unfazed, "Probably should've used that before you lost that precious dinosaur girl of yours."

Elric remained silent as his eyes narrowed. He stood in front of the fallen dinaurian as the rest of the Wardens and their allies rushed to her. Many wanted to get close to her, but the Captain, Professor, leaders, and Wardens who'd faced her on the Neo Black Whale all stayed back, and they kept the rest at the same distance.

"Good heavens! What has happened to her?!" Prescott cried, terribly frightened.

"She's crashed, man! Big time!" Frett yelled, eyes wide.

"She's turned black! What's goin' on here?!" Daisy cried, hiding behind Violet.

"Tria!" Lucky wailed, trying to run to her side. When Leon caught him and held fast, he looked up at his idol. "Leon! What's happening!"

"Stay back, Lucky." Leon growled, practically choking on his words, "That's…"

"That's what, Leon?" Lucky asked when the Warden trailed off.

"Don't tell me…" Sapphire whispered from behind Dahlia, who was visibly shaking.

"That's what Tria looked like…wh-when…" Penny whispered, gripping Mei Lian's hand as much for comfort as restraint.

"When what?!" Hellcat yelled, becoming panicked.

"When we'd faced and killed her." Captain Stryker answered, his mask of professionalism back on as he held the crying professor, "To get rid of the dark energy. She's reverted back to that state."

"It's not over." Elric whispered to himself, his body tense as he commanded the powerful Super Evolver. Nibbles had joined the fight, but they weren't making any progress against the dark carnivore. As the Wardens looked back and forth between the fight with Saul and the fallen dinaurian, one of them noticed something that had him running before he knew what he was doing.

"Elric! Watch out!" Leon yelled as he tackled the other boy to the ground. Several other Wardens were about to call out to their comrades, but their voices died in their throats when a pair of jaws closed around the space Elric had been occupying not a moment earlier. Crimson eyes with white pupils glared at the interfering human before promptly losing interest.

" ** _Nice moves, human._** " the voice of the one who was not Tria spoke from the blackened jaws, " ** _But if I were you, I would not interfere anymore. This is my show now._** "

"You're…" Elric whispered, Leon stunned into silence by the voice.

"Tria! What the hell's the matter with you?!" Mei Lian yelled at the darkened creature.

"No." Kowloon snarled, startling the Warden, "That is not my alpha."

"It is her other side." Olga explained, trembling next to her BR comrade, "The side of much darkness and little heart."

"So that is it." Sapphire whimpered behind her hand, "That's the side of Tria that controls dark energy…"

"WHAT?!" several voices around her screamed.

"Tria actually CAN control dark energy?!" Dahlia's voice rose over the others.

"Not really." Liu Ren cut in with a sharp glare at Sapphire, "Tria controls light energy, but she has another side that controls dark energy, a side that calls herself 'Dart'."

"So wait!" Spike snapped before other voices could arise, "Will someone explain what's going on?! What's all this talk of 'dark' and 'light' energy about?!"

"Me confused!" Rocky agreed.

"I must admit that I am slightly baffled as well…" Gauss mumbled shyly.

"So am I!" Hellcat added, green eyes sharp and angry, "How come everyone's in the loop except us?!"

"Technically, some of us shouldn't be." Liu Ren said, still looking at Sapphire, before sighing, "But I guess it doesn't really matter anymore."

"This tournament was to gather light energy." Sean explained, "So Tria could win against this dark side of hers."

"I-It had been…weakening her…for some time." Drake added hesitantly, "We were…hoping…that this could…end the struggle…b-before it got worse…"

"Wait a minute!" Sasuke yelled suddenly, "Is this 'dark side' what she fought during the master ninja trial?!"

"I am sure it was." Hanzo confirmed, his eyes fearful.

"But now the plan has backfired. Horribly." Stryker finished with a pained tone, "Now her dark side has taken over completely." He gulped as the dark dinaurian stood up. "We may have lost Tria for good."

" ** _Damn right, human._** " Dart growled, startling the people around her, " ** _As you know, my name is Dart, and I'm in charge now. That goody two-shoes you love so much is gone. She won't be getting out again._** "

"Don't be so sure, Dart!" Stryker called out his challenge to the dark dinaurian, "Wardens never give up, especially not on their friends! We WILL save Tria, and we'll send you back where you came from!"

" ** _You really don't know when to shut your mouth, human._** " Dart snarled at the Warden Captain as she brushed shards of broken metal off her wrist.

"You don't know when to give up, Captain Stryker." Mikasi taunted proudly, "It's time to open your eyes and face the music; you've lost. Learn to swallow your pride, and you might be allowed to live."

" ** _I don't think you heard me, little one._** " Dart growled at the blond, " ** _I'm running this show. It's time for you to step out of the spotlight._** "

" _As if!_ " another voice barked. The humans turned to look at T-rex Saul, who swatted Nibbles and Mapo King away with his head. " _You will not interfere with my master! Go back to sleep and stay there!_ "

" ** _Who do you think you're talking to, runt?_** " Dart snarled viciously at the dark carnivore, " ** _You watch your tongue when speaking to your superior!_** "

" _Since when are you my superior?!_ " Saul roared, running forward with gaping jaws.

" ** _Since right now!_** " Dart roared back, opening her own jaws and unleashing the Call of Hell. Saul froze in the face of the powerful attack. His red eyes then widened and he screamed, thrashing his head about before spontaneously slouching.

" ** _You're strong for a dark vivosaur, I'll give you that._** " Dart growled as Saul looked up at her, " ** _But compared to me, you're nothing._** " She then glared past the submitting carnivore to look at his fighter. " ** _You're even worse, tiny creature. You think you can control this power, but it is this power that's controlling you. Your comrades were right to leave you._** "

"What are you doing, T-rex Saul?!" Mikasi yelled to his vivosaur, "Finish off that dinosaur girl! Now!"

" ** _How pathetic._** " Dart sighed, shaking her head, " ** _Saul, go stop those two idiots brawling over there._** "

" _Yes, Your Majesty._ " Saul answered, his voice devoid of the defiance he'd shown just moments before.

" ** _Your Majesty?_** " Dart repeated, caught off guard by the title, " ** _What am I, a queen?_** " Saul ignored her, simply making his way toward Spinodious and Giganto, just as Dart had ordered him to.

"You must be joking…" Leon mumbled, voice low with fear, "She can control dark vivosaurs?!"

"I'm not entirely surprised." Elric whispered back, "Tria can control normal vivosaurs. It only makes sense that Dark Tria can control dark vivosaurs."

Nibbles and Mapo King stood before the dark dinaurian, Nibbles much more hesitant than the battle-hardened Super Evolver. Dart flexed her claws and, without a word, shot forward, pushing both aside with her wings. The two massive vivosaurs crashed, but Dart kept moving, heading straight for the other battle going on in the arena.

"Brachio TZ! Behind you!" Xavier called urgently. The Earth-type sauropod, nearly frozen compared to the dinaurian's speed, had just enough time to turn his head before he was defeated by Dart's claws. Lophus DR started to prepare her own attack, but she stopped when Dart looked down at her.

" ** _What are you gonna do, DR?_** " Dart asked the herbivore, crimson eyes boring into the storm-gray ones. Lophus DR, in response, lowered herself onto all fours and bowed her head. Dart smirked. " ** _Good girl. Now be a dear and dispatch of that little human of yours._** "

Lophus DR looked up at the dinaurian, her voice one of agony. " _Please don't, Your Majesty. My fighter is a good boy. He has been through a lot these past few months, but he means well, I assure you. I will follow you, but please let him live, I beg of you._ "

" ** _Stop that. I can't stand begging._** " Dart snorted in disgust, waving her claw dismissively, " ** _Fine. Get him out of here, and make sure he doesn't get in my way, or I will kill him._** "

" _Yes, Your Majesty._ " Lophus DR affirmed sadly as she turned to face her fighter. She crouched down to his level and looked into his eyes.

"What's wrong, Lophus DR?! Why won't you attack?!" Xavier cried, confused.

" _Forgive me, Xavier._ " she rumbled, nudging him with her beak, " _Go to the Wardens. You'll be safer there._ "

"What are you doing, Lophus DR?! Stop that!"

" ** _And what about you, AR?_** " Dart growled at the hateful sauropod, " ** _Will you follow me, or will you resist as well?_** "

" _You can't be serious._ " Titano rumbled back, " _You'd destroy me in an instant. I could never hope to defy you._ "

" ** _Excellent._** " Dart said, nodding with approval, " ** _Then crush that human and follow me._** "

" _With pleasure._ " Titano AR hummed happily as he moved to raise his foot.

" _Don't you dare!_ " another corrupted voice roared at the herbivore. Spinodious stomped over to the massive creatures surrounding his fighter. " _Don't you dare hurt Angel! I'll kill you if you do!_ "

" _I don't know why you care, Spinodious._ " Titano AR spoke back with a snort, " _You're more twisted than I am. Why do you keep defending her?_ "

" _Because she's our fighter!_ " Spinodious barked viciously, " _She revived us! She gave us new life! How could you possibly forget everything she's done for us?!_ "

" _Oh, I remember what she's done._ " Titano AR rumbled, his voice taking on a dangerous tone, " _I remember having an entire Stadium falling on my back because of her! I remember having to turn on my herdmates because of her! I remember being injected with this sickening hatred and anger because of her!_ "

" ** _Enough!_** " Dart roared loudly, " ** _Finish her, AR!_** "

" _Gladly._ " Titano AR said simply, bringing his foot down on the silver-clad human.

"Ultrasonic Blast!" a human voice yelled from above the group. The high-pitched shriek stunned the sauropod, pausing him for a moment. And, in that moment, a purple blur darted under Titano AR's foot, the human grabbing the frightened Spiros sibling before the pterosaur climbed into the sky again.

"Luca?!" Angel cried as the black-haired boy pulled her onto Ptera EU's back, "What are you doing?!"

"Just getting some fresh air." Luca replied, looking at the girl exasperatedly, "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Angel stared at him in shock. "What…What happened to you?"

"What happened to me?" Luca repeated, arching his eyebrow, "I've stopped acting like a sniveling coward, that's what."

Angel opened her mouth again, but Luca spoke first. "Let me guess, why am I saving you?" He turned around to look at his passenger again, a small smile on his face. "Because Ace would be very sad if you died, and I don't want him to be sad."

"Ace?" Angel asked, more confused than ever. Luca ignored her and directed his pterosaur down again, where they hovered over Xavier and Lophus DR.

"Come on, Xavier." Luca said, holding his hand out to the distressed boy, "We need to get you out of here."

"Luca?!" Xavier cried, shocked to see the boy. He then felt himself being pushed toward the pterosaur and looked back at his vivosaur. "Luca, help me! Lophus DR won't listen to me!"

"She wants you out of harm's way." Luca told the other boy, "Commander Tria's dark side tried to get her to kill you, but she didn't want to, so the dark side agreed to let you live if you were gotten out of the way."

"That thing told our vivosaurs to kill us?!" Angel screamed as the words snapped her out of her daze, "Is that why Titano AR tried to crush me?!"

"Yes, although Titano AR was happy to do it." Luca replied, shocking both humans, "He hasn't forgiven you for using him as a shield against the collapsing Stadium, or for corrupting him with dark energy. Spinodious did try to protect you, though."

" _You can understand us, little one?_ " Lophus DR asked, cutting off the words of humans.

"Yes, I can." Luca replied easily to the dark herbivore, "Commander Tria gave me a vivosaurian translator when I first started working for her."

"You were working for Tria?!" Xavier and Angel exclaimed simultaneously.

" _Then please pass on this message._ " Lophus DR said, ignoring both of them, " _Tell Xavier that I'm sorry, but I must follow the orders of Empress Dart. It is not safe for him here; please get him to safety._ "

"I will." Luca replied, turning to Xavier, "Lophus DR says that she is sorry for this. She has to do what Tria's dark side tells her, and it isn't safe for you. She wants you to go somewhere safer, where you won't be hurt."

"Wh-What?!" Xavier cried, looking between Luca and Lophus DR, "W-Wait!"

Lophus DR did not wait. She grabbed Xavier by the back of his shirt and tossed him into the air. He landed on Ptera EU's back, and the Neutral-type flew away, heading straight for the Wardens and leaving the dark vivosaurs behind. Dart watched them closely.

" ** _So that's your precious little spy, eh, Tria?_** " she growled to herself, smirking in amusement, " ** _Cute. I can see your influence there. Not that it matters anymore._** " She looked around at the dark vivosaurs gathered around her before facing the organization that had killed her once already. " ** _Let's finish this, shall we?_** "

"Luca!" Acacius yelled as the exhausted pterosaur landed on the ground and disappeared in a flash of light as soon as his passengers dismounted.

"Good thing Ptera EU had just enough strength left after his fight with T-rex Saul." Luca sighed, gripping the pterosaur's Dino Gear before looking up at his friend, "You didn't think I'd just leave your sister to die, didja, Ace?"

"You could've been killed, too, idiot!" Acacius gasped from his sprint. He wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and held on tightly. "Please don't scare me like that again, Lu."

"Acacius?!" Angel screamed, catching both boys off guard, "Since when did this loser give you a nickname?!"

"This 'loser' just saved your life, sister." Acacius growled, his copper eyes furious, "It's past time you showed him some damn respect."

"Uh, guys?" Xavier called hesitantly, pointing a shaking finger at the dark vivosaurs, "Don't look now, but they're headed this way."

The remaining vivosaurs placed themselves between the humans and the dark army. Styraco, Oloro, Cryo, and Ajka stood in the middle, with Nibbles and Mapo King on either side. Dart snorted at the resistance.

" ** _That's cute, too, but this is really getting on my nerves._** " she growled, out of patience, " ** _We'll finish this in one go._** "

She then spread her wings, pulling the rest of the dark energy from the remaining storage devices to her and smirking. " ** _You can't use the dark energy properly. No human can. Let me show you how it's done._** "

Her body became cloaked in darkness, much like it did during the Curse of the Reaper. However, this time, that darkness spread to the vivosaurs around her, uniting them in the plague they all shared.

"What is that?" Hellcat cried, fear now dominating her voice.

"Is that her Boost Skill again?!" Dahlia asked frantically.

"No…" Elric mumbled, the dread in his voice frighteningly familiar, "That's the same kind of attack Tria used against us during the final battle. A technique that went extinct when fighters stopped controlling entire teams: a Team Skill."

" ** _That's right, little human._** " Dart said, her voice sadistic, " ** _It's time for you to face the wrath of the Heart of Darkness!_** "

The dark vivosaurs all roared in unison and charged forward. Cryo collided with Titano AR, Dr. Digmore's Oloro with Lophus DR, Ajka with Giganto, Styraco with Spinodious, and Mapo King with T-rex Saul. And, of course, Dart faced off against Nibbles.

" ** _Give it up, little one._** " Dart growled, " ** _I won't let you kill me like you did last time!_** "

" _I'm not gonna kill you!_ " Nibbles roared back, " _I'm gonna save Tria! I'm never giving up on her!_ "

" ** _Get it through your thick skull already!_** " Dart snapped, pushing the Crimson Ravager back, " ** _Tria is dead! She is gone, and there's nothing you can do about it! She's…!_** "

Dart's voice stopped suddenly. She stared at Nibbles with wide red eyes, jaws still open but unable to move.

" ** _What…?_** " she croaked, her throat seeming to close in on itself, " ** _How…?_** "

She then fell to the ground, red eyes open and unseeing.

Then all hell broke loose.

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Dart opened her eyes and looked around at the dark, ashy landscape around her, once again in her dinaurian form. White-barked trees towered over her, and the purple sky mocked her once more. The scenery was all-too-familiar.

" ** _What the hell?!_** " Dart screamed, glaring at the figure standing across from her, " ** _How did you bring me back here?!_** "

" _You're not the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve._ " Tria replied, her voice calm and easy.

" ** _Damned light-bound creature!_** " Dart shrieked, lunging at her counterpart with crimson claws bared, " ** _You'll pay for this!_** "

" _Maybe. We'll see._ " Tria repeated calmly as she lunged forward as well.

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Chaos reigned in the destroyed Stadium. Without their dark Empress to guide them, the dark vivosaurs lost their focus and lashed out at anything nearby.

"Everyone! Get to the edge of the arena!" Stryker ordered loudly, "It'll be easier to defeat these guys when they can't outflank us!"

"Right!" the Wardens and their allies yelled as they collectively moved toward the designated area. The dark vivosaurs tried to follow, but the allied vivosaurs kept them out bay. Once the group was huddled close together, all on high alert, Elric took out his last Dino Medal and threw it into the air.

"Now, Ryden! We need your help!"

A flash of light lit up the Stadium, brighter than any before. The reason for this became obvious when the entire Fossil Park shook violently as the titanic herbivore landed on the battlefield.

The massive Ryden stood taller than even Lancelot's Seidon, white body shaking the ground with every step. Rock-like plates sat on his back in close-set patches, and blunt blue horns lined his face. Golden eyes watched the scene unfolding before him with a deep, analytical intelligence, before he lowered his head to his fighter.

"This situation is dire, Elric. I cannot fix it myself."

"I'm not asking you to, Ryden." Elric replied to the Neutral-type, "All I ask is that you keep our group safe. We need to think of a solution, and we can't do that if we're struggling for our lives."

"Hm…" Ryden hummed, deep voice making the air tremble, "I understand. I can do that."

"Th-Th-Th-" Nate stuttered uncontrollably.

"Th-Th-That v-vivosaur-" Becky squeaked, hiding behind her brother.

"It talked!" Little cried, gripping the Captain's jacket, "It's a vivosaur that speaks our language!"

"Ryden is the evolved form of Brachio." Elric explained, "His intelligence allows him to communicate verbally with humans." He let that information sink in for a moment before adding, "He's also a long-range attacker who specializes in fighting from a distance. Like this." Elric looked up at the observing sauropod. "Ryden! Ryden Rumble!"

Ryden focused his gaze on the opposing vivosaurs as swirling storm clouds formed overhead. Just like with Toba's Divine Thunder, multiple lightning bolts shot from the center of the vortex, several times stronger than the modern Water-type's attack. The dark vivosaurs were knocked to the ground by the powerful attack.

"Still, as strong as Ryden is, he can't defeat all of the dark vivosaurs on his own. We need to think of something, fast!"

"We need to get Tria back!" Penny yelled, eliciting several calls of agreement. Elric clenched his teeth.

"I'm afraid that may not be possible anymore." Stryker told the Wardens sadly, "She took a direct hit from a blast of dark energy, and Dart's taken over once already."

"I truly hate to say this, but the Captain is right." Liu Ren said, a deep sorrow in his voice as he spoke over the protests, "We have failed in our mission to save Tria; this was an all-or-nothing gamble, and now it's too late."

"We don't know that!" Sean yelled at his fellow leader, "Dart's stopped! You can't tell me that wasn't Tria's doing!"

"P-Probably. B-But…" Drake whimpered, flinching at the glare Sean sent his way, "Sh-She's…countering…like…"

"Like you explained to us earlier?" Liu Ren supplied for the viking, "Berserkers can't control themselves, so they look for ways to stop themselves, before they can hurt anyone."

Drake nodded sorrowfully. Sean clenched his fists, tears in his eyes.

"So we're supposed to just give up?!" Becky snapped as she gripped her brother's arm.

"Never!" Mei Lian yelled, fire in her eyes, "Tria's our friend! We're not abandoning her!"

"Tria would never give up on us!" Frett added, "We gotta try something!"

"We owe her that much." Prescott agreed.

"But what can we do?!" Roland asked, despairing, "We couldn't bring her back last time!"

"How do you know?!" Leon snapped back, "We didn't TRY to bring her back last time!"

"We couldn't even hold her off last time!" Nate reminded his comrades.

"But she's not attacking us this time!" Dahlia argued, orange eyes glistening.

"No, five other things are attacking us this time." Leon growled resentfully.

"Look out!" Lucky screamed, hiding behind Leon.

The arguing Wardens all turned to see Spinodious and Lophus DR out-flanking Ryden and making a bee-line for them.

"Damn it!" Leon cursed as he faced the out-of-control vivosaurs.

"Our vivosaurs are too weak to fight!" Dahlia cried, panicked, "What do we do?!"

" _Come at me, bastards!_ " Kowloon roared, catching both vivosaurs' attention, " _I'll take ya both on!_ " He unsheathed his metal claws and leapt at Spinodious, slashing the carnivore's nose and sending him staggering backward. " _I am a member of Tria's pack! Don't underestimate me!_ "

"Damn showoff." Mei Lian growled as she leapt up, kicking Lophus DR's foreleg, "We does he think he is?"

"Apparently, a member of Tria's pack." Sasuke answered as he struck between the herbivore's eyes.

"Now is not the time for personal rivalries!" Hanzo yelled as he deflected Lophus DR's foot.

"We can't defeat vivosaurs on our own!" Liu Ren stated as he landed a kick to the dark carnivore's jaw, "We need help, now!"

"It's coming!" Daisy alerted suddenly, "Like a pair of cowpokes at the rodeo!"

"More like a couple a' dingos racin' 'round the outback!" an Australian voice called back, the voice accompanied by screaming.

"Is that…?" Leon exclaimed, sounding torn between shocked and exasperated.

"It's Sydney!" Penny cried, happy but also confused, "And Yamamoto!"

"Whoa there, Stygi!" Sydney Yates called to the hard-headed Fire-type beneath him. Stygi complied, skidding to a halt next to the Wardens. Sydney then turned his head back and called, "Easy, Goyo!" The Air-type also complied, letting Yamamoto dismount next to his comrades.

"Sydney! What are you doing here?!" Nate asked eagerly.

"Did you come to see the Legend's Cup?" Dahlia guessed with a tilt of her head.

Sydney withdrew slightly, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. That's when Yamamoto, who still looked a little green from the ride, gripped the man's shoulder.

"That's not important right now! What's happened to Tria?!"

The Wardens suddenly got quiet, all looking collectively to where Dart had fallen. Both men looked over as well and cringed.

"How did you know something had happened to Tria?" Professor Little asked his assistant.

"The alarm from her detector went off." Yamamoto replied, shuddering, "It only went off for a second, but it was red, so I thought I should come check anyway."

"It only went off for a second?" Becky asked.

"Yeah, I saw it." Frett spoke up, much to his comrades' surprise, "Tria crushed it when she fell."

"Her dark side took over briefly." Liu Ren explained, knowing who he was talking to, "But she seems to be fighting back. She collapsed after attempting to attack us, and now the dark vivosaurs she'd been leading have lost all control."

"Crikey…" Sydney muttered, looking up at the dark vivosaurs his hard-headed pair was not sparring with.

"We have to help her!" Yamamoto yelled urgently.

"Right now, we need to take care of these guys." Stryker interjected seriously, "We can't focus on Tria if they keep getting in the way."

"I couldn't agree more!" Sapphire said, standing tall alongside her Warden allies, "They haven't been absorbing any more dark energy since Dart collapsed! This is our chance!"

"Yeah!" Penny cheered, raising her fist in the air, "We're gonna beat these guys and save Tria!"

"The only thing you are going to be doing is stopping this little Warden charade and coming home!" a man's voice spoke up over the Stadium. Penny froze as a green vivosaur appeared behind her with its pink eyes narrowed. Three other vivosaurs appeared as well, a toxic carnivore flanked by two herbivores. The man's voice was immediately followed by another voice, this one a woman's.

"Sapphire! You have some explaining to do! How dare you ignore me?!"

"Father…" Penny whispered fearfully.

"Sister…" Sapphire mumbled, turning around to face Ruby Bling properly.

The group had plowed their way through the rubble on the back of Ruby's Saichan. Mr. Moneybags jumped off and strode toward his daughter, the triplet guards following closely. Ruby slid off gracefully and flounced up to her younger sister.

"I'm tired of playing these games, Penny." the billionaire said, his arms crossed as he stared down at his daughter, "You are coming home, and that's final."

"No, I'm not!" Penny barked back, tears of rage forming in her eyes, "I'm staying here and helping Tria! I'm a Warden; I help people!"

"You are the sole heir to the Moneybags family! Your job is to carry one the family business and name! That is your purpose in life!"

"My purpose in life is what I decide it is!" Penny screamed, furious, "It's MY life! It's up to ME to choose what I do with it! And I choose to be a Warden and help people!"

"You got your mother's spirit, I see." Mr. Moneybags grumbled, shaking his head, "So be it, then. If you won't return willingly, we'll take you by force." He looked up at the green vivosaur next to him. "Grab her, Hypsi AU."

The Air-type Hypsi variant whistled and lunged at Penny with impressive speed. As Penny screamed, her pocket lit up, and two Dino Gears flew forward, releasing the Fire-type, who collided with her Air-type counterpart, and the sauropod, who stood over his fighter protectively.

"Hypsi?! Ampelo?!" Penny cried in surprise, "Are you still strong enough to fight?!"

"Commander Tria warned us of your father and his intentions during our battle." Ampelo told her, "We saved some of our strength to protect you if we needed to."

"Ampelo…Hypsi…" Penny whimpered, hugging the weakened sauropod's head.

"You've gotten above yourself, Sapphire." Ruby said, hands on her hips as she glared with angry pink eyes, "Since when did you think you could get away with ignoring me?"

"I ignore you all the time, Sister." Sapphire answered, leading Ruby to gasp in overexaggerated horror, "And I am my own person, Ruby. I think we both forgot that for a while."

"Oh really?" Ruby retorted, "Is that why you joined this tournament behind my back? To 'be your own person'?"

"I joined this tournament to help Tria." Sapphire replied honestly, "She's done so much for us; she deserves our respect."

"For us?!" Ruby screamed, insulted, "What has she done for us?! She failed to get us that gem we worked so hard for, and she threatened to kill me! Is that someone who deserves respect?!"

"She deserves respect for not doing it sooner!" Sapphire snapped, her patience worn to the breaking point, "You provoked her, Ruby! Your obnoxious attitude drives everyone away! Even our servants only spend as much time with us as is strictly necessary! I'm not much better; few people can tolerate me, either. But Tria did. Tria gave both of us a chance, twice! Both times without getting paid! That's more than anyone has ever done for us, and we completely took advantage of her! And yet, even after you set her off and caused her a lot of distress, she was still willing to accept my apology and give me another chance! She even said she wanted to give you one, too, and only couldn't because of the dark energy! Tria's the nicest, strongest, most forgiving person we've ever met, and we've just taken her for granted! I refuse to do that anymore!"

"Dark energy?" Ruby said, interrupting her sister, "Isn't that what she was killed for?"

"You have no idea." Sapphire growled, her voice cold as ice, "Tria consumed the dark energy to keep it from hurting anyone else. She even planned to die so that it would be destroyed with her. But she was revived, and now suffers to contain it so she can protect us! She threatened you because you triggered the dark energy!" Sapphire looked into her sister's startled eyes and said with conviction, "Tria is the greatest friend we could've ever hoped for, and we threw that friendship right in her face! I will never forgive myself for that, so I will do everything in my power to make it up to her!"

"If you stay here much longer, you're going to get killed!" Ruby yelled at her sister, the anger in her voice replaced with fear for her sister's safety.

"That's all right." Sapphire answered simply, much to her sister's dismay, "I've spent my whole life as nothing more than a spoiled rich girl living in the shadow of her older sister." She turned around, facing the battle between the dark vivosaurs and the vivosaurs allied with the humans, including her own Cryo. "For once, I'm doing something that actually matters. If I die doing so, at least I died fighting for what I believe is right."

"Sapphire!" Ruby called, her fear of the dark vivosaurs keeping her from following after her sister, "Sapphire! Sister!"

"Please! Stop with the fighting!" the voice of Olga Stroganoff tried to cut through the battle between Penny and her father and bodyguards, "We are needing to be working together, not against!"

"Stay out of this, wench!" Mr. Moneybags snapped at the kind-hearted woman, "This is none of your business!"

"Oh, but it is." Olga replied, walking up to the billionaire and his bodyguards, who all noted that the woman stood taller than them, "You see, I too am Warden. Penny is comrade, and good friend. I do not want to be losing of her."

"Olga…" Penny whispered, tears in her eyes.

"So I will be making with the stopping of plans." Olga continued with a smile, "That is acceptable, yes?"

"I don't have time for this." Mr. Moneybags growled, "Perry! Terry! Deal with this insolent woman!"

"Sir!" Two of the bodyguards rushed Olga, fists raised. Olga just laughed.

"Oh ho ho! Olga is most clever!" she praised herself as she lifted both men in the air effortlessly, "You have run right into trap!" She then threw the two men, sending one crashing into their brother and the other into their boss. The men glared at her with murderous eyes.

"Enough of this! Larry!"

"Right! Angato! Kill her!"

The Water-type vivosaur stopped his attack on Hypsi and charged at Olga with jaws agape.

"Oh, this is most unfortunate." Olga said to herself as she looked into the toxic jaws.

"It really is. You should know better." another voice admonished her. Angato screamed as sharp metallic claws slashed across his face.

"Kowloon!" Olga gasped, her surprise largely feigned.

"You do remember that you can call on me if you need help." Kowloon told his former comrade, looking back at Olga with an arched eyebrow.

"Da!" Olga agreed with a cheerful smile, "Many thanks, Kowloon!"

"Sure." Kowloon muttered in embarrassment as he turned to face the enraged carnivore.

Suddenly, the vivosaurs all stopped, seeming frozen as they stood at attention. The humans were confused for a moment before a loud bark echoed across the arena.

" _In…Intruders!_ " the words came from the collapsed dinaurian. Her red eyes were wild, and they clearly couldn't see much, but they soon focused on the four vivosaurs of the Moneybags and glowed with rage. " _Kill! Intruders!_ "

At that order, Cryo, Goyo, Stygi, Hypsi, and Ampelo all turned to their indicated targets. Then, to everyone's surprise, so did Spinodious, Lophus DR, and Titano AR. The corrupted and non-corrupted vivosaurs became focused on the same target and attacked together, overwhelming the vivosaurs of the billionaire and his body guards with both strength and numbers.

While this spectacle was going on, another pair, who had followed Saichan into the arena, made their way to the person they had come to retrieve.

"Lucky!" they both yelled simultaneously, startling the boy and making him hide behind Leon and Elric.

"Mom! Dad!"

"Now's not the time to make a fuss, Lucky." his father told him, serious and uncompromising, "This place is dangerous! We have to leave, now!"

"No! I'm not going!" Lucky yelled back, tears in his eyes, "As long as I can help the Wardens, I'm staying!"

"This isn't a game anymore, Lucky." his mother said, "You really can die if you stay here."

"I don't care!" Lucky cried, "I don't care if it's dangerous! I don't care if I die! I'm not leaving!"

"Lucky…" Leon started to speak.

"No, Leon!" Lucky snapped at his idol, shocking the older male, "I left once, because you told me to, and I still regret it. I'm gonna be a Warden someday, and Wardens don't run away!"

"This is very brave of you, Lucky." Elric said, trying to keep his voice calm, "But-"

"I'm not a Warden yet." Lucky interrupted again, "I know that, and I don't care. You have someone my age in the Wardens, and he's here, fighting. If he can do it, so can I! I have more experience in real-life situations than most incoming Wardens, I've trained with some of the strongest fighters in the Parks, and I'm tired of being a crybaby that runs away whenever I'm scared! I'm going to help you, I'm going to help save Tria, and you can't stop me!"

Lucky then ran off, toward the battles with the dark vivosaurs, ignoring everyone calling his name as he gave orders to his Ajka.

"Leon." Elric said as they lost sight of the young boy in the group of Wardens, "Are you sure you and Lucky aren't related?"

"You know, Elric." Leon replied, "I've been wondering that myself, lately." They both then took off after the boy, his parents close behind.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the group, Giganto was exchanging blows with Professor Little's Argento, who had been healed after his battle with Tria's team by his fighter's prototype Insta-heal machine. The sauropod's exceptional defense provided a significant barrier for Giganto, but the large carnivore was powered by dark energy, that hatred increased by the knowledge of the young professor's close association with the Captain who'd plagued his late fighter for so long.

"Argento! Tail Siege!" Little ordered desperately. Argento bellowed and swung his tail at Giganto, who caught it in his jaws.

" _As if!_ " he growled as he threw the Earth-type across the arena. He then focused on the horrified professor and grinned sadistically. " _You're next, little one._ "

The dark Giganto lunged forward, jaws open with then intent to swallow the boy whole. Before he could, however, his target was tackled to the side, out of his reach. As Giganto attempted to right himself, his prey's rescuer called out his next orders.

"Ajka! Screw Attack!"

The small Water-type ceratopsian threw himself at Giganto, spinning himself around as he slammed into the carnivore and sent him crashing to the ground again.

"Lucky?!" Professor Little cried as he stared up at the other boy.

"Hey, Professor." Lucky greeted the high-ranking Warden, offering his hand to the child genius, "Sorry for pushing you, but I couldn't think of what else to do."

"No need for apologies." Little replied as he took the offered hand, "I should be expressing my gratitude to you. You saved my life, Lucky."

"Aw. It was nothing, really." Lucky giggled in embarrassment, not used to being on the receiving end of such gratitude. Little smiled at Lucky's reaction, giving a slight chuckle despite himself.

" _Damn brats! I'll swallow both of you whole!_ " Giganto roared, swatting Ajka to the side and lunging at the two boys again. Lucky and Little continually dodged, but their stamina was nothing next to Giganto's, despite Ajka and Argento's best efforts to interfere, and when Lucky tripped and his legs gave out, Giganto prepared to lunge again.

"Come on, Lucky! Get up!" Little told him, trying to pull him up again. Lucky put his hand on Little's chest and pushed him away.

"Can't run…anymore…" he gasped, looking up at his new friend, "Go."

"No." Little denied immediately, wrapping his arms around the other boy and trying to lift him up, "You're a future Warden, and Wardens never abandon one of their own!"

"Professor…" Lucky whispered, breathing heavily.

"Little." the child professor replied, "My name is Little."

"Little…" Lucky hummed, laughing breathlessly, "Weird name."

"You're one to talk, Lucky." Little retorted, narrowing his green-gray eyes at the boy he was attempting to carry.

Leon, Elric, and Lucky's parents saw them, but by then, it was too late. Giganto launched himself at the two boys, both of them not having the strength to avoid him anymore. Little looked desperately for a solution while Lucky closed his eyes…

…and opened them when they heard a pained scream. Both boys, as well as the Wardens and parents watching, gasped when they saw the darkened form of Dart standing over them, frantically clawing at Giganto's face to get the vivosaur to release her arm. With one last blow, Giganto retreated into his Dino Gear, rolling to a stop at the edge of the rubble. With her enemy defeated, Dart slumped to the ground again, breathing heavily.

"I-Is that…?" Lucky asked, his voice shaking from his brush with death.

"It's Dart's coloring." Little reported, eyes distressingly confused, "But Dart would never save us…"

Both boys moved cautiously to her head, and both whimpered when they saw what Giganto's jaws had done to her arm. It was badly torn, teeth marks leaving bone-deep gashes in the scaled flesh. A pained hiss left her jaws when she tried to move the injured limb, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the pain.

"T-Tria…?" Lucky called questioningly to the dinaurian, with Little hesitantly reaching out to touch her dark purple mane. They both leapt away from her when she suddenly turned her head around and bared her teeth. However, instead of trying to bite them, she opened her jaws and barked loudly.

" _Kowloon!_ "

" _Alpha!_ " Kowloon called back, running to her as quickly as he was able. He landed next to her head and cringed at the sight of her injured forearm.

" _Get Lucky and Little away from me._ " she told her packmate, " _Get them back to the group of Wardens._ "

" _But Alpha, what about you?_ "

" _Don't worry about me, Kowloon._ " Tria sighed, laying her head on the ground again, " _None of you can help me now. Just look after the Wardens._ "

" _Alpha!_ " Kowloon cried, reaching for the dinaurian's muzzle.

" _Go, Kowloon!_ " Tria snapped, making Kowloon withdraw. Her eyes then softened, crimson eyes gaining a gleam of gold, and she extended her neck to touch her nose to Kowloon's cheek. " _Please, Kowloon. Do this one last thing for me. For your alpha._ "

Kowloon held the black muzzle and pressed his face into it. " _Yes, Alpha._ "

Tria smiled. " _Thank you, Kowloon._ "

"Tria, wait!" Little cried as Kowloon held him under one arm.

"We're not leaving you, Tria!" Lucky declared vehemently, thrashing in Kowloon's grip.

" _Listen to me, Lucky, Little._ " Tria addressed them, " _You are both amazing people. You'll make a great Warden, Lucky, and you are invaluable to the Wardens, Little. You are both irreplaceable; never forget that._ "

"Tria!" Lucky screamed as Kowloon leapt away from her, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Tria!" Little cried, his own tears blinding him as he called out to her, "I'm sorry!"

Through his tears, he didn't see the smile that came to her face with his words.

"What the hell's going on?!" Leon yelled, "Is that Tria or Dart?"

"I don't know, Leon." Elric mumbled, gravely upset, "I really don't know."

"One dark vivosaur's been brought down!" Stryker called to his Wardens, "We can take out the rest! Never give up!"

"Yeah!" the Wardens all cheered, their allies lending their own voices as well.

Stygi and Goyo, having defeated the Moneybags vivosaurs, had gone back to darting around the other dark vivosaurs, doing damage when and where they could. Cryo and Hypsi had ganged up on Lophus DR, attempting to overwhelm the herbivore with speed and numbers. Ampelo collided with Titano AR, aided by Styraco and Oloro, and they were pushing the corrupted sauropod back. Ryden focused on restraining T-rex Saul, with Mapo King working with Argento and Ajka to take down Spinodious.

"What the hell…?" Sean muttered, "One moment the dark vivosaurs are helping us, the next moment they're our enemies. Whose side are they on, anyway?"

"Dino Gigante doesn't know! But he is glad they are no longer organized, as they had been!" Dino Gigante answered honestly.

"What I really want to know is just how many sides there actually are." Lancelot said, his arms crossed and his expression thoughtful.

"What do you mean, Lancelot?" Liu Ren asked the wise fighter.

"We were discussing this earlier." Aggro stated from next to his rival, "We're not sure there are only two sides to this fight."

"Can you explain?" Stryker asked impatiently.

"Well, at the end of the tournament, when all this chaos began, there were two clear sides: the Wardens vs. Mikasi and his group." Gauss explained, pushing up her glasses as she did so.

"But the dark vivosaurs aren't following Mikasi anymore." Spike continued, "When Tria's dark side took control, it became her vs. the Wardens. But ever since she collapsed, the dark vivosaurs have completely lost any sense of focus or control. Now they're attacking whatever's around, sometimes working with us, sometimes against us. Now it's like they don't really have a side; they just wanna fight something."

"The dark energy has lost its focus." Dr. Digmore spoke up, "Mikasi focused it on Tria and the Wardens, Tria's dark side focused it on the Wardens and everyone associated with them, then confused its focus by ordering them to join our vivosaurs against those working with Mr. Moneybags. Now they don't know who their enemy is, because those who were their enemies had briefly become their allies. When their designated enemies were defeated, they weren't given another clear one, and since their previous enemies were more recently their allies, they can't focus their dark energy on them anymore. So now they're lashing out randomly, since that's all those driven by hatred can do."

"So what you're saying…" Stryker muttered, "Is that Tria confused the dark vivosaurs into thinking we were their allies, so now they don't know who they're supposed to attack, and, as a result, are just attacking whatever happens to be closest?"

"So…what? How's that gonna help us?" Hellcat asked irritably.

"P-Perhaps…" a small voice spoke up, and the group looked down at Professor Little, who was still tearful and shaking.

"Perhaps what, Professor?" Stryker asked, placing a comforting hand on the child prodigy's shoulder. Little sniffled and rubbed his eyes.

"P-Perhaps…" he started again, "Th-The dark v-v-vivosaurs…don't ha-have and targ-get…if we…draw b-back…th-they'll a-attack…"

"Each other!" Sean exclaimed as Little's idea dawned on him as well, "Great idea, Professor!" Professor Little nodded, clinging to the Captain as he always did.

"Everyone, listen up!" Stryker's voice boomed, causing many people around him to jump, "Draw back! Get away from the dark vivosaurs!" As the humans started moving as a group, he called out his next order. "Everyone with vivosaurs still fighting, have them push the dark vivosaurs into each other!"

At Sydney's command, Stygi and Goyo threw themselves into Lophus DR, sending her staggering into Titano AR, who was pushed into her by Ajka and Argento. T-rex Saul was thrown into them by Ryden and Mapo King, while Styraco and Oloro drove Spinodious toward the now-squabbling group. That's where they ran into a problem.

" _Who the hell do you think you are?!_ " Spinodious roared at the two herbivores pushing at him, " _Remember your place!_ " He then slashed at Oloro, sending the Water-type back to his frightened anthropologist commanding him. Spinodious then dispatched of Styraco with a single snap of his jaws. His enraged crimson eyes scanned the group of fleeing humans, searching for a new target, and soon found one.

"Kowloon! Be looking out!" Olga called to her frozen friend, who was standing still while everyone else ran. He didn't seem to hear her, continuing to stare at Tria's motionless body as Spinodious charged at him with gaping jaws.

"You idiot!" a furious voice yelled as Spinodious was thrown aside by a kick to his jaw. Mei Lian landed in front of the catatonic man and faced him with her hands on her hips.

"What the hell's the matter with you?!" she screamed at Kowloon with blazing gray eyes, "Snap out of it al-" The rest of her rant was cut off by the sight before her.

Kowloon was staring at the place where Tria lay, tears flowing unhindered from his right eye. And, while he appeared still from a distance, he was actually trembling.

" _A-Alpha…_ " he whimpered, sounding painfully lost, " _T-Tria…my alpha…_ " He shook his head in futile denial. "She's… _not gone…can't leave…_ she…"

Mei Lian stared at her sworn enemy in total shock. After everything he'd done, all the pain he'd caused, this was a side of him she never thought she'd see. "Are you…crying?!"

"How could I not?!" Kowloon finally responded as he glared at the Warden in front of him, "Tria's my alpha! She's the only one who truly accepted me for who I am! She understood me, she gave me a home! If I lose her…" He trailed off, clenching his teeth as he looked over at his fallen alpha again. He then crouched down with his arm over his head to block the kick aimed at his side.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Mei Lian snapped, her glare still present, "You think Tria'd be happy if you got swallowed by a dark Spino?!" She then grabbed Kowloon's arm and pulled him roughly to his feet with surprising strength. "Come on! We need to get back to the others! We don't stand a chance on our own!"

Kowloon stared at the feisty Warden in surprise, disbelief, and confusion. "Why are you helping me, Warden? I thought you hated me?"

"My name's Mei Lian!" Mei Lian barked as she ran. Her voice then softened into one of sincerity as she answered, "You were crying. For Tria. You must care about her a lot if you can cry for her, especially in the heat of battle." She looked up at Kowloon as she ran, the half-human finally noticing the tears in the girl's eyes. "I can't hate anyone who cares for Tria as much as I do."

Kowloon watched Mei Lian for a moment longer, then gave a small smile of acceptance. They both then looked back when they felt the recently-recovered Spinodious chasing after them. Both kung-fu masters slid to a stop and faced their opponent properly.

"Get going, Mei Lian!"

"As if, Kowloon! I'm not gonna let you show me up!"

" _You'll both die! I'll show you what happens when you underestimate me!_ "

" ** _You will not._** "

Spinodious, Mei Lian, and Kowloon all froze and looked at the dark dinaurian fearfully. She was still on the ground, but one crimson eye was open, and it had focused on them. Its glow pierced through the dark vivosaur who was defying her.

" ** _You will not attack the humans. You will deal with those morons biting at each other over there._** "

" _Yes, Your Majesty._ " Spinodious growled, almost sounding like he was in a trance as he turned around and made his way toward the quarreling dark vivosaurs. Mei Lian and Kowloon took this opportunity to run back to the safety of the Wardens and allied vivosaurs.

"What was that?!" Leon yelled, almost sounding exasperated now.

"That sounded more like Tria's dark side to me." Penny observed, torn between hope and despair.

"But why would Tria's dark side order Spinodious to stop attacking us?" Luca asked, feeling Acacius shrug in response.

"What's going on, Tria?" Elric whispered to himself, "What's happening in that tormented mind of yours?"

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" ** _Stop messing with my army!_** " Dart screamed at Tria as they dove at each other once more.

" _Only when they stop hurting my friends!_ " Tria yelled back as she flew around her enraged counterpart.

" ** _I'd let them live if you'd let me stay out!_** "

" _Until they defied you! Then you'd kill them without hesitation!_ "

" ** _Only if they threatened me!_** "

" _Everything's a threat in your eyes!_ "

" ** _Lies!_** "

The two half-dinaurians clashed again and again, the endless cycle repeating over and over and over again.

" ** _This won't ever end, Tria!_** " Dart called to her other side, " ** _As long as we continue on like this, we'll be stuck here forever!_** "

" _As long as we stand in opposition, we both shall fight for the right to live._ " Tria agreed, shaking her head sadly, " _What a tiresome existence._ "

" ** _I'm not letting you back out there._** " Dart told her counterpart, " ** _You'll get us both killed!_** "

" _I'm not letting you back out there._ " Tria retorted, " _You'll kill everyone around us!_ "

" ** _Only those who would do us harm!_** "

" _You think everyone will do us harm!_ "

" ** _I refuse to submit to you again!_** " Dart shrieked as she lunged with desperate violence.

" _I refuse to ever submit to you!_ " Tria shrieked back as she met her other side in another violent collision. As each pushed back against the other and tumbled toward opposite ends of the purple sky, dark clouds gathered behind the light-bound half-dinaurian.

"I was wondering when you would show up again." Tria said to the cloud, "Are you sure this is what I should do?"

" **Find the balance you need to dispel this enemy from your midst. Only then can you end this war once and for all.** "

"All right, then." Tria sighed as she flew forward, "If you insist."

" ** _Your time in this world is over, Tria!_** " Dart screamed as she shot forward with blood-red claws glistening, " ** _It's my turn to live! I've waited long enough to see the light of day; let me out!_** "

" _This is my world._ " Tria replied as she opened her arms, " _I will always protect it._ "

Dart drove her claws through Tria's chest, and the world they shared stilled.

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The dark vivosaurs paused in their brawl and turned toward the dark dinaurian once more. The allied vivosaurs did the same as she rose shakily to her feet. Her left arm hung limply at her side, still dripping blood onto the battle-scarred ground, but she paid it no mind. She faced the dark vivosaurs and barked a quick order.

" ** _Attention!_** "

T-rex Saul, Spinodious, Lophus DR, and Titano AR all stood up straight and remained still. The dinaurian turned her head barked again.

" ** _You too!_** "

At that order, Giganto's Dino Gear, still lying on the ground, glowed black and released the dark carnivore again. He didn't say anything, simply lumbering over to join the other dark vivosaurs. Glowing crimson eyes then focused on the Wardens.

" ** _Enough hiding! Get out here, all of you!_** "

At that command, Yamamoto's pocket lit up with four bright lights. The Dino Gears flew out of their own free will, releasing the four high-level vivosaurs to stand before the dinaurian.

" _Yamamoto?_ " Nibbles growled to the startled boy, " _Why did you have the rest of my team with you?_ "

"I must have grabbed them when I rushed out of the lab." Yamamoto mumbled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, "I'd completely forgotten they were there…"

"How could you FORGET you had the rest of Nibbles' team with you?!" Penny cried, making Yamamoto draw back against the crimson vivosaur behind him, "We really needed their help in this fight!"

" ** _That means you, too._** "

With those words, Leon's pocket lit up as the fifth member of Nibbles' team, who'd been helping the Wardens during the early stages of the riot, flew forward to join the rest of his team. Nibbles' team watched the corrupted form that was too familiar to them. The red eyes watched them, light blue iris focusing on each of them sequentially before opening her black jaws again.

" ** _All of you! Forward!_** "

With those words, all of the allied vivosaurs stepped forward to stand on either side of Nibbles' team. Even Nibbles himself moved to stand in the middle of the group facing the dinaurian. She flicked her tail and faced the dark vivosaurs again.

" ** _There is a human hiding somewhere in the area. Find him._** "

The dark vivosaurs all scattered, running off in different directions with all senses alert. The dinaurian then spun around to the allied vivosaurs again.

" ** _Angels. Guard the Wardens. Surround them and stay close._** "

Nibbles and his team collectively nodded and moved to surround the group of humans, their postures stiff and at attention.

" ** _Ryden. By me. Keep watch._** "

The massive Super Evolver lumbered forward and stood next to the dark dinaurian without hesitation, his long neck fully extended as he observed the world with golden eyes.

" ** _Stygi. Goyo. Separate the opposers from the allies._** "

The two small vivosaurs weaved themselves through the group, pushing Ruby, Mr. Moneybags, and the triplet bodyguards out of the group. When they got to Lucky's parents, who were both clinging tightly to their sobbing son, they glanced back at the dinaurian, and at the shake of her head, they left to nudge at their fighter.

"I guess you're not an ally." Yamamoto said when Sydney protested, "Go on, Sydney. We'll be fine."

Sydney looked down at his partner from the Warden Test in confusion, then up at the creature commanding the vivosaurs, before finally letting himself get pushed to the other group.

" ** _Saichan. Escort the opposers out of the Stadium. Stygi and Goyo, accompany them._** "

The Fire-type herbivore led the isolated group out, the two hardheads urging them along. With the opposers out of the way, the dinaurian returned her focus to the rest of the vivosaurs.

" ** _Remaining allies. Return to your dormant states and rest._** "

With a collective sigh of relief, Mapo King, Ajka, Argento, and Cryo all returned to their fighters. With those matters settled, the dinaurian approached the protected group and crouched down.

" ** _Leon. Come here._** "

The punk Warden jolted at being addressed directly. When he didn't move, Thalasso reached forward and poked him with his beak. With the encouragement of the vivosaurs around him, Leon stood before the dark form of his best friend, body tense and his face guarded.

" ** _Your assistance will soon be required._** " the dinaurian told him, " ** _Stay close to me._** "

"And what if I don't?" Leon barked defiantly, "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

" ** _Stryker. Elric. With us._** " the dinaurian ordered. The two high-ranking Wardens flinched at the sound of their names from the darkened jaws. As they moved to stand before the dinaurian, their comrade's temper rose.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Leon yelled at the dinaurian. His voice was then cut off by a bellow from Ryden, followed by chaotic screams and a familiar roar.

" ** _He has been found._** " the dinaurian commented, crouching down further next to the Wardens, " ** _Get on. I'll take you to him._** "

Leon protest again, but the Captain pushed him forward onto the dinaurian's neck. Elric climbed on behind Leon without a word. The dinaurian took off, leaping straight into the air, and called down to the team below.

" ** _Escort the group out of the Stadium. Lead them to the rest of the humans._** "

The group below them started moving as the dinaurian glided toward the group of civilians gathered outside the collapsed Stadium. The audience was freaking out at the five dark vivosaurs surrounding them, and one of the vivosaurs was holding something in his jaws.

"It's Mikasi!" Leon exclaimed as the dinaurian lowered herself to the ground in front of the panicked crowd. The three Wardens dismounted, and she stood up again, watching.

"Mikasi! Did you try to hide in the crowd of civilians?!" Leon called up to the thrashing figure held in T-rex Saul's jaws. Mikasi didn't answer, simply glaring at the boy looking up at him.

" ** _Put him down._** " the dinaurian commanded. Saul obliged, setting his captive down in front of the Wardens. Red eyes looked around at all of the dark vivosaurs and a black claw was held out. " ** _Return._** "

With that command, the dark vivosaur returned to their Dino Gears and flew into her claw. The humans all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Mikasi Acerbi." Captain Stryker addressed the boy who had caused so much trouble in such a short time, "You have done immeasurable damage to this Fossil Park and the people in it, and you will answer for your crimes."

"My crimes?" Mikasi snarled hatefully, "I showed you, in no uncertain terms, what the selfish, irresponsible actions of the Wardens can and will result in. Your Wardens will be the end of the Fossil Parks, and countless people will die with them, as long as you continue protecting that monster behind you."

"Tria is not a monster!" Leon yelled, enraged.

"Really?" Mikasi asked over the confused voices behind him, "That doesn't look like Tria to me."

"Even in this form, Tria has never done what you did." Stryker spoke severely, "You created dark vivosaurs with the intention of killing Tria and bringing down the Wardens. You placed explosives under the Stadium that caused it to collapse, nearly killing thousands of people in the process. You placed dark energy machines throughout the Stadium that caused a riot in the audience. It was you who caused all of this destruction, your actions that caused this chaos!"

"Me?" Mikasi asked, a smirk on his face, "You give me too much credit, Captain. I may have lit the match, but you're the ones who lay out the gunpowder." He shook his head. "Those 'dark energy machines' didn't produce any dark energy; they just amplified it. They amplified the negativity already in the audience, but they didn't put it there." He looked sideways at the Wardens with a patronizing glare. "I didn't do this because I wanted to, you know? I did it because you weren't listening to the people under your protection. They are frightened, they are angry, but you ignored them all, just to keep alive a creature that was supposed to have died months ago!"

All three Wardens made to retort, but Mikasi cut them off with a lethally-low voice, "You didn't want to lose your precious dinaurian, even knowing she carried a dangerous plague with her. You've put millions of people at risk for the preservation of one life; that is unacceptable! So, since the civilians under your rule don't have the power to stand up for themselves, I took on that task. I would actually listen to what the citizens have to say, and I wouldn't let my emotions affect their safety."

"You tried to kill everyone in the Stadium!" Leon argued angrily, "How can you call that 'looking out for their safety'?!"

"Negativity is a part of life." Elric mumbled. Everyone turned to look at the silver-haired Warden, who was standing back with the dinaurian, a hand on her neck. "Just as there are good times in life, so too are there bad times. No one can be perfectly good or bad, entirely positive or negative with none of the other." He ran his hand along the black scales, glancing briefly at the torn limb resting on the ground before continuing, "The emotions we consider positive, the fuel for light energy, and the negative emotions that fuel dark energy, all have purposes, and trying to have one without the other will result in an incomplete being doomed for death." He then glanced at his audience, gauging their reactions, before stroking his fingers beneath of jaw. "The key is balance. Too much darkness, and you cause harm to yourself and others. Too much light, and you fall victim to the darkness around you. Find the balance, or you will ultimately be destroyed."

Elric patted the dark neck one more time before walking up to join the other Wardens. "You are right that we haven't been handling this situation correctly, but that doesn't make you any less wrong, Mikasi." he explained to the blond, "You made the same mistake we did. We tried to replace all of the darkness with light, so that Tria could be freed from the 'dangerous plague' she carried, a plague that caused her more pain than anyone. You tried to replace all of the light with darkness, so we would be destroyed by it, and then you could destroy the vessel and come out on top. We were all wrong." Elric held out his arms and gestured around him. "The 'plague' of negativity is not a plague at all. It is natural part of life that must be accepted and dealt with properly. To hold it in for too long is what causes the problems of dark energy, when it takes over your life and makes you do things you wouldn't normally do. That's what we should be aiming for."

"And we will." Stryker said in agreement. He strode forward, past Mikasi, and stopped in front of the assembled audience. "I know you all have concerns regarding Tria's place among us. On behalf of the Wardens, I apologize for not taking your opinions into account like we should have. If you will lend us your support again, we would like your assistance and feedback when we deal with issues around the Fossil Parks. Is that acceptable to you?"

The civilians all looked at each other, muttering amongst themselves. Some looked unconvinced, ready to protest, but no one spoke up. A small smile appeared on the Captain's face, resigned but hopeful, as he and the other Wardens focused again on the horrified blond boy.

"What's gonna happen to him?" Leon asked his Captain, never taking his eyes off the other boy. Elric and Stryker looked at each other briefly before Stryker answered.

"I think…she wants you to decide."

"What?!" Leon screamed, whirling around to face his superiors, "Me?!"

"I think that's why she brought you along in the first place." Elric replied, "He's done more to hurt you than anyone else, and his first attack on the Wardens was focused on you. This is more your fight than it is ours, so it's not our place to decide how it ends." He then gestured toward the dinaurian. "That's her logic, anyway."

Leon looked back at the enemy from his childhood. Hazel eyes glared at him hatefully, body poised to run or fight. Leon watched him, feeling all the anger, hurt, sorrow, loneliness, and fear that came with Mikasi's image, and shook his head.

"I think…we should keep him here until things settle down, then decide what happens as a group." Leon turned back to his comrades, eyes shifting between them before falling on the dinaurian crouched on the ground again. "I'm not the only one he's hurt, so I shouldn't be the only one to make that call. We're Wardens, and Wardens face their problems together. It's what we do."

Stryker and Elric looked at each other again and smiled. The Captain then began ordering the recently-returned group of Wardens to do various tasks, from containing Mikasi to directing the civilians. One member of the audience suddenly shouted and pointed to the dinaurian, whose body had begun to glow and shrink, returning her to her true form. The Wardens and their allies gathered around her as she fell to the ground, her job finally complete.


	67. But To Live

"C'mon, already! She's running late! Always loafing around, that one. Someone needs to step on it!"

"Seriously. I mean, even I was on time. And I'm NEVER on time!"

"Aw, come on, guys. Knowing her, she's probably off helping someone."

The group of five Wardens stood in front of the mechanical dinosaur in the Asian Fossil Park's plaza, accompanied by a small red vivosaur with a yellow bandana around his neck. The noise of the vivosaurs and construction equipment coming from the Asian Stadium was loud, but they were all too used to it for it to be a distraction, even the hateful hazel eyes that occasionally glared at them not fazing them. Dahlia was standing in the middle of the group, tapping her foot impatiently as she crossed her arms in irritation. Nate stood next to her, looking around for any sign of the last member of their group. Penny had her hands up as she tried to placate her two griping comrades.

"That would be my guess." Roland agreed from his place next to Nate. He wasn't as irritated as the others were, looking more excited and slightly nervous than anything.

" _Or she has a job to do._ " Nibbles spoke up from next to Leon, nodding his head knowingly, " _She has been very busy lately._ "

Leon stood calmly, watching his friends bicker amongst themselves. He then caught movement out of the corner of his eye and tilted his head to look up toward the sky. "Well, look what the cat dragged in."

The chatter in the group hushed as a massive shadow passed over them, the opalescent glow of white scales dotting the surrounding area with multi-colored sparkles.

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Blood dripped to the ashy ground as the two half-dinaurians stared at each other. Another fluid mixed with the metallic liquid, clear and salty. Tria stared into the crimson eyes of her counterpart, a small smile on her face. Dart looked up at her counterpart, tears streaming from her eyes as she stared deep into the golden pair watching her.

" ** _I don't wanna die._** " the dark dinaurian sobbed, her face in Tria's shoulder.

" _I know._ " Tria replied, placing her arms gently around Dart.

" ** _They'll kill me, you know. If you don't come back, they'll kill me!_** "

" _Who said I wasn't coming back?_ " Tria asked, grabbing the arm of her dark side and removing it from her chest.

" ** _It's either one or the other._** " Dart told her, " ** _We can't both live, and if you return, you'll die from that hole in your chest._** "

" _Why can't we both live?_ " Tria asked, tilting her head as she observed Dart's expression, " _We're both a part of the same person. We are two halves of a whole. If anything, neither of us can live without the other._ "

" ** _Didn't you hear me?_** " Dart snapped, " ** _I told you! If I come back, they'll kill me! If they can't have you, they'd rather have nothing!_** "

" _Didn't you hear me?_ " Tria asked in response, " _You are me. Isn't that what you told me when we first met? You are me, I am you. Why would they kill you if you are me?_ "

" ** _They don't recognize me as you._** " Dart growled resentfully, " ** _They think you're only you if you're a saint, ever-good and perfect._** "

" _Then we'll show them that you are as much me as I am._ " Tria said, holding her other side close, " _We can work together, instead of against each other, and, together, we can live in the world beyond us._ " The light-bound half-dinaurian held out her hand to the dark-bound half-dinaurian hovering opposite of her. " _Whadya say? We can start again, together._ "

Dart stared at the offered hand with distrust and disbelief, her crimson gaze wary. She then placed her own hand into it, watching the hole in Tria's chest close again, and allowed herself a small smile as they both flew into the sky of their world, together.

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"You're late, Tria." Penny called up to the dinaurian as she landed in front of the Fossil Shop.

" _Sorry._ " Tria growled in response, " _We were surveying an island near where the Neo Black Whale sank._ " She crouched down to let her two passengers dismount, the movements of the boys fluid with practice.

"It is truly remarkable how many undiscovered fossils lie in these remote locations." Professor Little stated excitedly, "Simply astounding!"

"Looking for more underwater fossils, Professor?" Roland asked curiously, to which Little nodded furiously.

"That's not all we found!" Lucky piped up from next to the professor, "I even saw some more glowing lights under the water!"

"Some lights?" Penny repeated.

"You mean like the ones Elric's crazy vivosaurs have?!" Nate exclaimed. When Lucky nodded, the group collectively gasped.

"Way to go, Lucky." Leon praised the younger boy, earning himself a wide grin in response.

"We must report this to the Captain at once!" Little declared as he ran into the Fossil Center, calling back over his shoulder, "Come on, Lucky!"

"I have to report to the Captain, too!" Lucky cheered ecstatically, waving at the group before darting into the Center after the professor, "See you guys later!"

"See ya, Lucky!" Dahlia called back at the others waved. They then looked back at Tria as she reverted to her true form.

"Sorry again about being late." she apologized, running her fingers through her hair, "There were more fossils in that area than we'd thought, so it took longer to survey."

"Aw, it's okay. We're just glad you made it!" Roland assured the girl with a smile, "This mission would be out of the question without the guest of honor."

"Huh?" Tria blinked in confusion. "Guest of honor?"

"Ha ha ha!" Dahlia laughed, clutching her stomach, "Check out that confused look on your face! Hi-laaaaaaarious!"

"I told you I was getting the whole gang back together again, right?" Penny reminded her former roommate with a mischievous smirk, "I just didn't tell you why." She took a deep breath as her smile became more emotional. "The truth is…we wanted to thank you, and congratulate you on a job well-done, Tria!"

Tria blinked again. "Me?"

"Yeah, you!" Nate agreed enthusiastically, "You've been running around solving riddles, helping people, beating fighters, and all kinds of crazy stuff!"

"It was all Leon's idea!" Roland admitted with a grin.

"Hey! I told you to keep your trap shut!" Leon yelled, his face bright red, "And besides, I never suggest we have a big party where everyone heaps praise on the rookie. I was thinking more like a pat on the back. Or cufflinks."

"Oh, can the tough-cop act already! Sheesh!" Dahlia sighed in exasperation, "But since this was all Leon's idea, he can go first." She looked at the purple-haired Warden, and after a second of him not moving, shoved him forward. "WELL?! Get on with it!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Leon griped, rubbing his back where the redhead had hit him. He then looked at Tria's expectant golden eyes and blushed again. "So, uh, Tria. What can I say about ol' Tria? You've come a long way, rookie, and not just because you stuck it to guys like the BR Brigade. You've helped a lot of civvies when the chips were down, and you never gave up, even when everyone else had. That takes moxie." He placed a hand on his hip and smiled. "Nice job. You can watch my back anytime."

Tria smiled at the punk Warden, opening her mouth to thank him, but the voice of another Warden cut her off.

"Ok, shut up already! My turn!" Dahlia declared, shoving the irritated Leon out of her way so she could stand in front of Tria, "Great job, Tria! Really, really, REALLY great! You're better than an eight-cylinder engine with a modified intake manifold!"

"You know I've always been your biggest fan, Tria." Roland added, "I just hope we can always be friends!"

"I'm proud to have you as a Paleo Pal! Promise to be my pal forever, okay?" Nate asked, his eyes briefly becoming frantic, "Swear it!"

"You always were the best of all of us." Penny stated honestly, "You have become my strongest and most reliable companion." She smiled tearfully at Tria. "Thank you."

"Aw, you guys…" Tria said, smiling widely at all of her Warden friends.

" _Me too!_ " Nibbles growled as he jumped into Tria's arms, " _You've done so much for me! You saved me; you saved all of us! You are amazing, and I'm so happy you're my friend!_ "

" _Thank you, Nibbles._ " Tria growled back, hugging the little vivosaur to her, " _I'm so lucky to have friends like you. All of you._ "

"All right! Enough ego-fluffing!" Dahlia declared, clapping her hands as she grinned challengingly at the dinaurian, "Heed my words, Tria! You may be an important ally, and a great friend, but you're also one of my rivals. And I have NO intention of losing to you in another Time Attack!"

"I'd like to see you try to beat me, Dahlia." Tria said with a smirk.

"She's right, rookie." Leon added as he smirked down at Tria, "We've all decided to step up our games. I've been spending my nights taking special Fossil Battle training classes. I want to be ready for anything!"

"Courtesy of Aggro and Lythro, no doubt." Tria chuckled.

"Me too! Me too!" Nate cheered, waving his arm about, "I'm actually not sure what's going on, but I won't ever lose again, either! You CAN count on it!" He then laughed. "Get it? Can? CAN? Like my butt! Hahahahaha!"

"Nate, no! What are you doing?!" Penny cried.

Nibbles and Tria exchanged a look. When she nodded, Nibbles lunged at Nate and bit his butt, just like he had when they'd first met.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH! WHY DON'T I EVER LEARN?!" Nate screamed as he fell to the ground, "Call the police! Call a lawyer! Call a reconstructive butt surgeon! Oweeeee! Please don't eat my butt, Mr. Vivosaur! I need it for pressing hams against restaurant windows!" He lay on the ground for a few seconds before whimpering, "It's gone, isn't it? My poor little butt is finally gone."

"You're a dope." Leon said, but he was smiling. Everyone burst out laughing at the spectacle, Nibbles joining in as he danced around joyfully.

"Oh, hey!" Dahlia exclaimed suddenly, "We should all take a picture to commemorate the occasion! And it's a PICTURE, got it? Not a selfie. That word is so overused these days."

"Not a bad idea." Leon agreed, "We can hang it up on the precinct wall."

"I'll send a copy to my father!" Penny said happily.

"Right!" Nate yelled as he jumped up from the ground, "Let's call everyone over!"

"Er, isn't everyone already over?" Roland asked, confused.

"No! We need to call Captain Stryker and Professor Egghead! And Elric!" Nate stated excitedly, "Also Mei Lian and Liu Ren. And that weird ninja guy. Hamlet or whatever. And Olga, too!"

"I'll call up Drake and Violet! And Frett and Prescott!" Dahlia agreed, her energy making her jump up and down.

"I supposed Sean, Becky, and Daisy will want a piece of this action." Leon said with feigned annoyance, "Lucky, too."

"Great! Then let's go get 'em!" Nate declared, running off toward the Fossil Center.

"Or we could, you know, call them." Leon said, smirking at Nate's awkwardness.

The Wardens began gathering in Fossil Park Asia, varying degrees of excitement present.

"A commemorative picture, you say? That sounds like a fine idea." Liu Ren said with a wide smile.

"How do you want me to pose? You want me to be all kung fu, right?" Mei Lian asked, already trying out different poses.

"A ninja does not pose for pictures!" Hanzo stated, before looking away and adding, "However, today I shall make an exception."

"I'm…not good…at smiling." Drake mumbled, looking at the ground shyly, "But I'll…try."

"A picture? Oh wow! I totally did not see this coming!" Violet cried cheerfully.

"I LOVE pictures!" Becky declared, "And every side is my best side, so snap away!"

"Make sure to get the smile! Ch-Ching!" Sean agreed with his trademark grin.

"This is so much fun, pard!" Daisy cheered, "Like a fawn in a field of flowers!"

"Is most wonderful idea!" Olga agreed with a smile.

"Leave the soundtrack to me!" Frett announced, "Chicka chicka waaa!"

"Settle down, old sport!" Prescott called after his partner, "It's a picture! Pictures don't have sound!"

"A commemorative picture? How wonderful!" Professor Little cheered, before pausing with his arms crossed, "But I wonder if a daguerreotype might be better, considering current wind velocity and light amplification…"

"That doesn't matter, Little!" Lucky stopped the professor's ramble, throwing an arm around the other boy's shoulders, "Just smile and enjoy the picture!"

"A commemorative picture?" Elric repeated with a sideways glance at his childhood friend, "We haven't take one of those in a while." Tria just smiled in silent agreement.

"Looks like the gang's all here." Captain Stryker said, the sound of this voice organizing the excited group.

"I'll operate the shutter!" Yamamoto announced as he started messing with the camera, "It's an honor to be a part of history!"

"Grrr!" Nibbles cheered, jumping around again.

" _I couldn't agree more, buddy._ " Tria said, smiling at the camera as her Warden family gathered around her.

"All right, everyone!" Yamamoto called to the group, "Say 'vivosaur'!"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

" ** _You have many friends, Tria._** " Dart said as she looked at the memory of the photo taken earlier that day.

" _They're your friends too, Dart._ " Tria reminded her other side, " _We're both Tria, remember._ "

Dart huffed at that, having given up that argument long ago. She just went back to staring at the picture, Tria joining her.

Tria stood in the middle, her grin wide and amused. Elric stood to her right, his golden eyes glinting with immense joy despite his cool exterior. Leon stood on Tria's other side, his usual smirk still in place. Nate was lying on the ground at Tria's feet, posing like one of those French girls, while Penny looked down at him scoldingly. Roland was standing next to Penny, looking like he was trying hard not to laugh. Dahlia had jumped on Tria's back, throwing her fist in the air. Mei Lian was next to Leon, her leg up in a kicking motion. The only thing keeping her from kicking Leon in the gut was Tria's hand on her ankle. Hanzo stood by Mei Lian, his arms crossed and his posture stoic. Violet stood just behind Hanzo, laughing at Mei Lian's antics. Becky stood behind Penny with a bright smile on her face, and Daisy was standing next to her, looking down at Nate in confusion. Prescott was next to Roland, his expression also one of exasperated scolding as he hunched over, pushed forward by Frett's weight as the hyper Fossil Battler mimicked Dahlia. Frett was clearly making more of his sound effects. Olga was standing behind the two boys, chuckling in amusement. Next to her stood Sean, who was grinning from ear-to-ear. Drake stood behind Violet, looking worried as he always did, but there was a small smile on his face. Liu Ren stood next to the viking, completely unaffected by the antics of those around him. Captain Stryker stood directly behind Tria, his smile one of pride. Lucky stood in front of Leon, his arm still around Professor Little's shoulders. Professor Little himself was grinning with uncomplicated joy, looking like the kid he actually was. And Nibbles was in front of Tria, standing on Nate's side and looking happier than ever.

" _They're an interesting bunch._ " Tria stated, smiling fondly, " _Keep you on your toes, for sure._ "

" ** _They're not the only ones._** " Dart said, glancing over at the other picture in their memory, " ** _You've got interesting friends, even outside of the Wardens._** "

Tria looked over at the second picture, the one she'd taken with those not included in the Warden one. She was in the middle again, a common theme with these pictures, and her smile was just as it was in the previous one. Next to her, looking slightly uncomfortable, was Kowloon, who stuck close to his alpha's side. On Tria's other side was Luca, who was smiling shyly at the camera as his silver eyes gleamed with his inner joy. Acacius stood next to Luca, an arm around his smaller friend's shoulders, his smile more genuine than it used to be. Next to Acacius, looking profoundly displeased, was Angel, whose arms were crossed as she glared away from the camera. Xavier was next to her, grinning as he flashed a piece sign. Behind them stood Dino Gigante, who, although his face was covered by his ever-present triceratops mask, was very clearly laughing. Dr. Digmore stood next to the loud masked fighter, smiling nervously. Next to Kowloon stood Gauss, who was quite happy that she was being included in this picture. Spike had his arm around her, his expression as coolly casual as usual. Hellcat stood next to him, her own expression annoyed as she snapped at Rocky, who was standing next to her, yelling. Yamamoto stood behind Tria and Luca, Tria having insisted that he appear in a picture, too. And next to Yamamoto was Sydney, who also had his arm around Yamamoto's shoulders as he cheered. On Yamamoto's other side stood Sapphire, looking regal as she smiled at the camera with practiced ease. And next to her, even more effortlessly photogenic than her sister, was Ruby, who held herself with dignity. Also, mischievously placed in the background, was Sasuke, the smirk clear in his eyes. Aggro stood tall behind Tria, his arms crossed in their usual pose as he smiled with the same pride as Captain Stryker. That pride was echoed in the eyes of Lancelot, who stood beside Aggro with his normal calm expression.

" _We have good friends everywhere._ " Tria said, smiling at Dart, " _And we'll make many more, you'll see._ "

" ** _Hmph._** " Dart huffed, looking away, " ** _Whatever, Tria._** "

" _Sure you don't want to call me Lia?_ " Tria asked, arching an amused eye ridge.

" ** _Why would I ever call you Lia?_** " Dart asked in annoyance.

" _Because I'm Light trIA!_ " Tria declared, laughing at the irritated " ** _No._** " from Dart and the smack from the dark half-dinaurian's tail.

Dart shook her head at her other half's mimicry before walking off into the shadows of the leafy-green forest. Tria just lay on the grass, still chuckling to herself as she watched the bright blue sky pass overhead.


End file.
